


Warped Away: Fire Emblem Fates

by NintenDex



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: M/M, Marriage, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-08-30 20:24:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 27,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8547934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NintenDex/pseuds/NintenDex
Summary: Dexter is just a regular boy. He goes to school, plays some video games, he hangs out with his friends, and goes out with the family sometimes. One day, however, he gets cast away to a rather familiar world, by an unknown force. Dexter's life, is about to change.





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I tried my best at this story, so I would love to hear what you guys think about it! Thanks for reading in advance! :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter goes to school and meets the new exchange student.

**Chapter 1: Beginnings**

 

It was time for school. Today was just like any other day. Get up, go to school, come home, play some games, have dinner, go to bed. Rinse and repeat. I got up, put on my clothes and went downstairs. My mom already left, so I had to make my own sandwiches. I grabbed a few slices of bread and threw some cheese on it, my favorite. I went down the hall and grabbed my backpack, put the sandwiches in, and left for school.

School was boring as usual. The girls were all gossiping about this one guy, he was an exchange student. I can't remember where he was from exactly, but he had an unusual blue hair color, which everyone thought was weird for some reason. I actually thought it looked pretty good on him. Besides that, it was business as usual.

I had some of my least favorite subjects today, like science and economy. I just never seemed to grasp them as much as my other subjects, but the tests were usually alright, even if I had to work my butt off for them. I have extra science lessons every thursday after school, so that helps too.

Me and one of my best friends, Julia, would always work together on our science assignments. We always had tons of fun, but we both weren't very good at it, so usually it would end up with both of us doing something else instead.

'Ugh, Julia, school is driving me crazy. Everyone is just so obsessed with others. There were a bunch of people making fun of that exchange student today, but I just don't get why, they don't even know him.'

'Dude, that's just the way things are in high school. When you're in a vulnerable position like him, it's like being on the bottom of the food chain, eat or be eaten. Since he isn't the type to 'eat' anyone, he's getting eaten. It's sad, but you can't really do anything about it, but he'll be alright, don't worry.'

'I hope you're right.'

When school was out, I was in the classroom a bit longer to talk to my teacher. The classroom was upstairs, so I had to walk down the stairs alone. I walked down the hallway, when I saw the exchange student. He still had his light blue hair color.

'Hey Dexter!', he said.

I was very confused. I never talked to him, and none of my friends really talk to him, so he had no way to know my name, unless he asked someone, but I didn't think that was likely.

'Oh, hey man. What's up?' I decided to roll with this whole thing, and talked to him like nothing was up.

'Nothing much,' the boy said. 'I wanted to ask you something.'

'Can I ask you what your name is first? You know mine, but I don't think we've ever properly met.'

'Oh, of course! My name is Konas. It's foreign.'

'Nice name! Anyway, is there something you wanted to ask?'

'Oh, yes! I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today, as in, right now.'

Well, I sure as hell didn't see that coming. He seemed to be really excited about it. He was about 12 years old, I imagine, and he doesn't have a lot of friends. I decided to just go with it.

'Sure, you can come to my house.'

'Really? That's so cool! Let's go!'

For a second I thought he was going to jump right into my arms and give me a big hug or something. He was jumping all around, there was no stopping him. He reminded me of myself when I was about his age. I still acted like a kid back then, shockingly similar to him. Maybe that was also the reason that I invited him. He just reminded me of myself.


	2. Playdate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter invites Konas to his house.

**Chapter 2: Playdate**

 

When we got to my house, Konas took no time at all to completely scout the place. He asked me about everything. Pictures, paintings, plants, pretty much everything you can imagine.

For some reason he was oddly interested in my 3DS, specifically a game on it, Fire Emblem Fates. It was a strategy game where you control different units on a battlefield. They level up and form relationships with each other. This particular installment in the series focused on the war between the countries of Hoshido and Nohr. The main character, Corrin, had Hoshidan blood and was raised by Nohrians. He had to make a choice, side with Hoshido, or side with Nohr to end the war.

It was one of my favorite games. I would often dream of how it would feel to fight alongside Corrin, his siblings and his friends. I had grown especially fond of a character named Takumi, the youngest prince of Hoshido. Everything about him was attractive, from his personality to his looks. He had everything you could possibly want from a man. I would often be disappointed that he was just a fictional character, and thus unobtainable.

When Konas was done invading my drawers, shelves and everything in between, we sat down and played Fire Emblem Fates.

'I've never played this before, is it hard?' he asked.

'Not really, you'll quickly get the hang of it, you'll see.'

I gave him my 3DS and turned on the game. I let him start from the beginning, and he got introduced to Corrin, Takumi and the rest of the main cast through some cutscenes. Then the actual gameplay began, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

He was a natural. He was beyond amazing. It was like he knew the outcome of every strike. He took risks no player in their right mind would take, but every single attack hit its mark. Still, I thought to myself: 'Okay, this is obviously incredible luck.'. But when he kept doing flawless runs of every following chapter, I wasn't so sure anymore.

'Are you sure you've never played this game? You're doing incredible.'

'Am I? Well, I had heard of it, but I've never played it myself. I guess I'm just lucky! It is just chance after all.'

'Guess so.'

The time passed, and it was already 5.30 PM, the time for Konas to go home. He seemed to have really enjoyed our little 'playdate' as it were, it really cheered him up. Well, even more than when I met him.

'I had a lot of fun today, Dexter!'

'Me too! You should come hang out again sometime.'

Right when I finished my sentence, Konas ran into my arms for a hug. The way he hugged me wasn't pleasant though. It was the opposite, it hurt, even.

'Ah, Konas, no need to squeeze my organs out.'

'Oh, I must've gotten a bit carried away there. I'm sorry!'

'It's okay. Just be more careful next time.'

'Will do! See you later!'

Konas grabbed his bike and rode off into the dark. When he got further and further away from me, I couldn't help but notice that my head was hurting like crazy. I grabbed some painkillers and had dinner with the family, as usual.


	3. Falling Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter and Konas meet the day after their 'playdate'.

**Chapter 3: Falling Apart**

 

I was getting ready for another 'fantastic' day of school. I put on my clothes, brushed my teeth, took my lunch and went to school. I hoped to see Konas again today, I liked the time we spent together yesterday, and I wanted to talk to him some more.

The headache from yesterday hadn't gone away yet. It felt so pressing, it really, really hurt. I hoped it went away soon, because I would have to leave class if it didn't. It was pretty bad.

I got to school, and if anything, the headache got much worse, but I still wanted to go to some classes. I was thinking about what we had to do again, when I saw Konas hanging around the school entrance. He came my way, and we talked a bit.

'Dex, can I show you something?'

'Sure, go ahead, what is it?'

'Come with me, I'll show you.'

We went to an almost deserted part of the school, with no one around, when he got a shiny object out of his backpack. It had the shape of a knife, but it was glowing in all kinds of different colors. 

'That looks pretty cool, what is it?'

'...'

Konas remained silent, and after a second or two, he sprinted at me with the sharp side of the object pointed towards me. I quickly reacted and ran away from him, to avoid getting sliced.

'What the hell Konas?! Why were you trying to stab me, with whatever that thing is?!'

When I said that, Konas' entire demeanor changed. He seemed more calm, and serious. It put me on edge.

'Because you need to go. You're a threat to me.'

'A threat?! What the hell are you talking about?'

'...I have no need to discuss this with you. Now be a good friend and come over here for me. Please?'

'Friend? You're no friend of mine, not anymore. I'm gonna get someone to have you expelled.'

The moment I turned my back on him and looked ahead, he was right in front of me, with a big grin on his face. With one quick movement, I felt the sharp object pierce through my skin. I started bleeding, and I got this weird feeling that didn't quite feel like pain. It was like the object was getting absorbed into my blood stream. This wasn't good.

'Aaaah, fuck, that hurt a lot... What the hell were you thinking, you idiot?!'

'I'm thinking that I accomplished my mission. With you out of the way, no one can stand against me. See you soon, friend.'

Konas snapped his finger, and in that moment, my lights went out, and I collapsed on the floor.

When I came to, there were a lot of people around me. I had a pillow under my head, a blanket over me, and bandages on the spot where Konas' knife entered my body. I was in the nurse's office. Julia was right next to me.

'Dexter, are you okay?!'

Julia hugged me very tightly. I could tell she was frightened, and she was fighting to hold back her tears.

'Yeah, I'm fine. It just hurts a little bit.'

I tried to get up, but I felt a lot of pain, so I got back into my original position.

'Take it easy, you have to rest. But can you tell me who did this to you?'

'It was Konas, the exchange student. He had a weird knife-like object, he came at me. I could avoid it at first, but when I wanted to go and tell someone, he caught me off guard, and he stabbed me where the bandages now are.'

'Thank you Dex, we'll inform the police. I'm glad you're okay, I don't know what I'd do without you.'

'I'm glad too- AUGH!'

Suddenly, the pain under the bandages got stronger. I felt like my flesh was going to melt off, while my headache also grew more and more violent, it was the worst pain I'd ever felt.

'Julia... call the nurse... please...'

Julia ran away as quickly as she could. When she got back, I could feel shivers go down my back. I was so cold, and my limbs grew numb. I felt my mind slipping away. My eyes closed, and the last thing I heard was Julia calling out to me.

 


	4. A New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter wakes up in a new world.

**Chapter 4: A New World**

 

****

I opened my eyes. It took a while for me to process, but I was slowly catching up to what had happened. Konas' betrayal, the intense pain, Julia's words, it all came back to me. I then realised that I was in a place I didn't know. It was a japanese-styled room with everything from katana's to beautiful vases with even more beautiful flowers in them. Where was I? 

I got up from the bed I was on and took a look around the room. I was alone, so I could look around without anyone knowing. I saw a small painting on a desk near the wall, and it oddly had the Hoshidan royal family from Fire Emblem Fates on it. The youngest princess Sakura, the oldest prince Ryoma, the oldest princess Hinoka, queen Mikoto, king Sumeragi, and of course, prince Takumi. It was a beautiful painting, and only someone with great skill could ever hope to make a painting like this. It was comforting to see a painting of Fire Emblem Fates characters, that way I at least had a connection with whoever lived here.

I finally found the courage to leave the room I was in, and when I opened the door, I was greeted by an enormous hall with walls of gold. It almost looked like a castle. I heard someone coming. I would rather hide and be away from whoever has me here for the longest time possible. I quickly went back into the room and got into bed.

I heard a familiar male voice down the hall. I couldn't say whose voice it was exactly, but it just seemed like I heard it before. The man was talking to someone.

'Stand guard here, in case something happens.'

The door opened, and I heard it close again when footsteps got my way. I felt someone sit down at the side of the bed. My heart was pounding out of my chest, but I wasn't going to let this person know I was conscious. But he saw through me.

'Get up, I know you're awake.'

At this point I knew that there was no way the man was going to leave me alone again, and I opened my eyes. But when I did, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

It was Corrin. There was no denying it. This wasn't a lookalike, no cosplay, this WAS Corrin. The white hair with a cut that made him look like a dragon, which he partially was, there was no mistaking it. He wore his usual attire. He had had light armor on, with a black color, but also with hints of white and silver, which covered his neck as well. He was barefoot, which he did to make sure he wouldn't lose any speed in battle. I had to pinch my arm to see if I was even dreaming anymore. There was no way this was real.

'Don't worry, stranger. I won't hurt you. I just want to know what happened. I found you on the plains near the castle. You were completely out of it. After I found you, I brought you here. You were sleeping for almost a week, but I'm glad you're finally awake. Can you tell me what your name is, and why you're here?'

I was completely blown away by what Corrin just said. It all made sense. I was found near a castle, Corrin is here, there is a painting of the royal family. That can mean only one thing.

I'm in Hoshido.

'I... I don't know. I was at school, then I went unconscious, and now I'm here. Speaking of that, where is 'here' exactly?'

'How curious. As for our location, we are now in Castle Shirasagi.'

'You mean THE Castle Shirasagi? In Hoshido?'

'Yes, exactly.'

'You're playing some tricks on me. That's impossible, Hoshido isn't real. Next you're going to tell me that you're at war with Nohr.'

'What are you talking about? I don't know what they've told you where you come from, but Hoshido is real, you're in it right now. And no, we're not at war with Nohr, not anymore. We're working together now.'

So Corrin has chosen 'Revelation'. This was the third path in Fire Emblem Fates, where Corrin would choose to not side with Hoshido or Nohr, and find a way to unite them instead.

'I have to ask you sir, are you prince Corrin?'

'I see you've heard of me, and Hoshido, and Nohr, but you claim that they aren't real. It's an odd claim, but I see you mean no harm. Come with me to the throne room, I will introduce you to king Ryoma. You can explain your story to him.'

Ryoma was king. That meant that queen Mikoto and king Sumeragi had already passed away. I showed my condolences, I got out of the bed and followed Corrin through the halls of Castle Shirasagi. It all looked beautiful, the gold shone bright, basically functioning as a mirror. While we walked to the throne room, I couldn't help but feel out of place. I still had my regular clothes on. There was nothing in any of my pockets. Did I not have anything with me? Not even my phone? I decided that was the least of my worries right now, and I kept following after Corrin.

After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at the throne room, where Ryoma was waiting. Ryoma had most of his red armor off, probably because he wasn't going to battle anytime soon. Instead, he wore a white cloak, with different red symbols on it. Under it, he wore black boots and red pants that looked very comfortable, almost like jogging pants. He had long, brown hair, which reached to his upper legs. I took a quick look around the throne room. The room was gold, with lots of flowers everywhere, and the throne loomed over us in the middle of the room. Corrin took charge and started the conversation.

'Brother, this is the boy I found about a week ago. He's going to explain his story to us.'

Ryoma walked towards me and reached out with his hand, ready to give me a handshake.

'Welcome, stranger. Can I ask your name?'

I shook Ryoma's hand and told him my name.

'My name is Dexter. It's an honor to meet you, king Ryoma.'

'Please, just call me Ryoma. I am quite happy to meet you as well. All of us in the castle are very curious about your story.'

So everyone in the entire castle knew I was here. I started to embrace the fact that I had somehow been transported to the world of one of my favorite video games. I wasn't sure how to explain it, but I decided to stick with the truth, and hoped they would believe me.


	5. Meet the Royals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter meets the royal family of Hoshido.

**Chapter 5: Meet the Royals**

 

I told Ryoma and Corrin my story. About Konas, about my own world, and what the people in Hoshido and Nohr were there. Fiction. At first, they couldn't believe it. They couldn't grasp the idea of a video game, or them not being real. But they believed me, and that lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. Then my mind shifted back to reality. I'm in an unknown world, I have nothing, and nowhere to go. 

'I hate to ask, Ryoma, but where will I be staying? I can't go anywhere, I don't know how to go back to my own world.'

'You can stay in the castle with us. We'll prepare one of the guest rooms for you. You can join us in our activities and help out if necessary, until you find a way to go back to your own world.'

'Thank you so much! I am beyond grateful.'

'Don't worry about it. If we were in your situation, I believe you would have done the same.'

Ryoma called a servant and he led me to my new room. 

'King Ryoma has granted you permission to explore the castle at your leisure.' the servant said.

'Thank you, I will get to that once I become a bit familiar with my surroundings.'

The servant nodded and went back to the throne room, leaving me on my own. This new room had a colder feel to it. There wasn't as much furniture as in the last room. The walls were white, and besides the bed there was only a chair, closet and a window. I peeked through the window and I could see the plains where Corrin had found me. It was a sight to behold. Before I would get lost in thoughts, I took my eyes away from the window and checked the closet. There was a pair of clothes in it. There was a white vest with fur on the outsides of it, along with comfortable white pants. There were black boots and black gloves with no fingers as well. I put it all on so I would fit in more. Having the gloves on made me feel awesome. Julia had gloves like these too. I always wanted to try them on. There was something magical about them. After I was done reminiscing, I locked the door and went out to explore the castle.

I was only walking around for a few minutes and I already felt incredibly lost. Every hallway looked the same, and everything was just huge. I found my way outside, and entered the gardens of the castle. I saw a few maids working on maintaining the garden, and when I went further, I found Sakura. She wore robes with the traditional Hoshidan red and white. I could tell she had shoes on, but they looked a lot like white socks.

'Oh, um, hey! You're the boy Corrin brought in, right? I'm Sakura, one of the princesses.'

'It's nice to meet you, princess Sakura.'

'What are you doing out here by yourself? Are you lost?'

'No, not really. I was just exploring the castle, and then I found this beautiful garden.'

'Oh, um, I didn't mean to say that you... I mean, it's just that...'

'Are you okay?'

'Oh, yes. I was, um... just thinking out loud. Oh, I'm afraid I have to go! I'll see you soon!'

Sakura ran away with a nervous look on her face.

'That was... something.'

I walked through the garden and eventually the grass started to make way for stone. When I looked in the distance, I saw pegasus knights flying all over the place. Among them was a red haired warrior, wielding a naginata with an arm guard on it. It was none other than princess Hinoka. Sporting her white and red battle attire, she sliced at the dummy targets with the help of her pegasus.

'Hey, you! Over there!', Hinoka called out. 'Get over here!'

I went into a jog and ran toward Hinoka.

'What are you doing out here? I don't recognise you.'

'I'm sorry, I don't know the castle very well. I'm Dexter, you may know me as the boy brought in by Corrin a few days ago.'

'Huh, so you've finally woken up? Good. I'm sure you have lots to say.'

'I do. I told my story to Corrin and Ryoma. They allowed me to stay here and join you in your activities. At dinner, I will tell the rest of you my story. I don't want to keep you from your tasks.'

'I'm looking forward to it. Right now I have to finish up training the new  recruits, so I'm pretty busy, yes. I'll see you tonight.'

'Of course. Good luck!'

I went back into the castle, when I found a spot that caught my eye. When walking into the main hall, it was a small open room on the right, with targets set up, seemingly for archery. It had interesting decoration, to say the least. The walls were covered with some sort of rubber. It had dents in it, likely from arrows missing their mark, assuming this place was for archery to begin with. My suspicion was confirmed when I found a stray bow in the corner of the room. I checked for any arrows and managed to find one. I looked around to see if anyone would notice me, and then fired an arrow at the target. It flew through the air at an incredible speed, and it hit its mark, right in the middle. Bullseye.

'Nice shot.' The voice came from behind me, but I knew exactly whose voice that was.

Takumi.

I froze, and my heart started pounding like crazy. Takumi was right behind me. The man who I had dreamed about, was right behind me.  I had to keep myself from going crazy, but then, I turned around. He looked exactly like he did in Fire Emblem Fates. He had long, light gray hair, put into a ponytail with two red ribbons. He wore a white vest with more red ribbons on it, accentuated by a blue shirt and a white animal pelt around his waist, with light brown pants under it. He looked as charming as ever. I noticed Takumi was with a bunch of Hoshidan soldiers. They were probably going to train.

'Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. I just found this laying around and I wanted to give it a try. My name is Dexter, it's nice to meet you.'

'Nice to meet you too, Dexter. I'm Takumi, crown prince of Hoshido. Are you one of our soldiers?'

'Oh, no. I'm no fighter. I am the boy who got brought in by Corrin a few days ago.'

'Hmm... and you're already going through the castle alone? Did my brother give you permission?'

'Yes, I told him my story and he allowed me to take part in your activities and roam the castle as I see fit.'

'My brother is way too easygoing. He doesn't know a thing about you. You could have been a Nohrian spy, or worse.'

'Wait, I thought Nohr and Hoshido were working together!'

'We are, but I will never trust that Nohrian scum. You should never let your guard down. As for you, I order you to go to your chambers at once.'

'O-of course. I will explain myself tonight, to you and your other siblings at dinner. Maybe I can convince you that I mean no harm.'

'Hm. We'll see about that. Now go.'

'As you wish.'


	6. Lost in Thoughts All Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While thinking about recent events in his room, Dexter meets a mysterious woman.

**Chapter 6: Lost in Thoughts All Alone**

 

I got back to my room, and sat down on the bed. I took some time to realise what had happened today. The last I could remember, I was at school, with Julia calling out to me. I wonder how she's doing, and my parents too. They must be worried to death. That being said, did I ever leave? What if I'm just unconscious all this time? What if it's just a dream? A hallucination?

No. This felt too real. This was really happening. I had to focus on finding my way out of this mess. The reason this whole thing started was because of Konas. He must be the key to getting home.

Then I remembered him saying that I'd see him soon. What did it mean? I wanted to stop thinking about my situation, but I couldn't. It was really bad, yes, but I wanted to find a distraction. Something to keep my thoughts away from reality. Then, all of a sudden, I heard a woman's voice. She wasn't talking, she was... singing.

~You, are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek, life beyond the shore, just out of reach~

It was Azura. Her beautiful, beautiful voice filled the halls. I loved her song, I had sung along to it many, many times. I knew it by heart. I wanted to meet the songstress, but I remembered Takumi's orders, and I didn't want to disobey him. I would see her at dinner anyway.

That's when it hit me; singing. I could just sing to keep my mind off things. So I sang along with Azura:

~Yet, the waters, ever change, flowing like time, the path is, yours to climb~

I noticed that her singing stopped once mine kicked in. I felt guilty. Did I interrupt her? Then, I heard footsteps coming to my room. When the door opened, it was her, Azura. Her hair was the longest I'd ever seen. It almost touched the ground, and had this light blue color... the same one Konas had. She had a beautiful white and blue dress on which covered her entire body.

'Were you the one singing my song?', she asked.

'I was. I listened to it countless times, with you singing it. Your voice is beautiful. My name is Dexter, it's a pleasure to meet you.'

'It's nice to meet you too, Dexter. My name is Azura. Tell me, how do you know my song? As you know, we have never met.'

And so, I had no choice but to explain my story to Azura. She never interrupted me, and listened to all I had to say.

'I believe you all the way,' she said. 'I have no doubt that you're a kind young man. But Konas is a serious threat. If he is also in our world, we could be in grave danger. I think it would be wise to alert everyone about his presence.'

'I will, tonight at dinner. Thank you, Azura.'

'You're welcome, Dexter.'

Azura looked ready to leave, but I stopped her for a moment.

'Wait. Do you have one more moment for me? I have a request.'

'Tell me.'

'Will you sing with me?'

Azura looked surprised, but then she smiled soon after.

'Of course! Do you want to sing my song?'

'Yes, please!'

And so we sang, and shortly after we were finished, a guard came to get us for dinner.


	7. A Royal Feast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter eats his first dinner with the royals.

**Chapter 7: A Royal Feast**

 

When Azura and I entered the feast hall, everyone had already gathered. Azura and I sat down at the table. I sat next to Sakura, while Azura sat down next to Takumi.

'I see you two have met?' Takumi glared at us with an... uninviting look on his face, to say the least. 'Did you ignore my orders, Dexter? Did you leave your room, and then you ran into her?'

'Takumi, stop it!' Azura stood up for me against the prince. 'He did nothing wrong. I heard him singing in his room, so I wanted to see who it was. He did exactly as you told him to. He never left his room.'

'Right. I hope you still know that I'm keeping an eye on you. I don't trust you, Dexter. If that's even your real name.'

'THAT'S ENOUGH!' Ryoma silenced Takumi, with his loud, pressing voice. Takumi looked flustered, but he didn't say anything. Ryoma continued: 'As you know, we have a guest with us tonight. His name is Dexter, and he as an unusual story to tell. Me and Corrin have given Dexter the benefit of the doubt, I ask the rest of you to hear him out, and treat him with the respect he deserves.'

Everyone nodded in agreement, and they started looking at me, prompting me to start my story. I explained everything like I did to Azura, and I hoped everyone would believe me. If the people didn't want me around, I would be all out of options. Living in the town would be impossible. The townsfolk trust each other, a stranger would be frowned upon. After I was done telling my story, I was surprised to see that most of the royal family believed me without question. Hinoka and Sakura were curious about my life back home, and I told them all about it. About school, about Julia and my other friends, everything they wanted to know. Takumi still had his doubts, I could tell, but even he realised that this story was too crazy to make up. I believed that in time, he would grow to trust me. At least, I hoped so. 

My food had grown cold in the long time that I had been talking. I quickly ate my food, and then we all went our separate ways. I was already dreading the thought of being locked up in my room again, so I quickly went after Takumi, to ask him to go easy on me.

'Takumi!'

'Oh, it's you. What's the matter?'

'I wanted to ask you... after telling my story, and everything else about me, can you please grant me permission to leave my room? Today was terrible for me, being locked up in a room isn't good for me. I only want to look around, and that's it.'

'I still have my doubts, but fine. I will allow you to roam the castle. The garden is still off-limits.'

'Thank you so much! This will do me good, I know it. Now, I will not keep you from your duties. Have a good evening!'

'...You too.'

I go back to my room for a few minutes, just to catch my breath, after all that happened. I'm glad I got the royal family's approval. It makes my stay so much easier. With them, I can take my time to figure out what to do next, and I'm also not alone with them, I feel confident with them by my side. I only need Takumi to trust me, and then I'll be all set.


	8. Night's Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter roams the halls of the castle at night, and he meets someone unexpected.

**Chapter 8: Night's Out**

 

I left my room and thought of things to do. Before Takumi ordered me back to my room, I already explored most of the castle. Then I remembered that there was the shooting range. I knew that Takumi had probably taken the bow that was there, but I went there to check regardless. When I arrived there, the bow and some arrows were nicely spread across a table, as if someone was expecting them to be used. I grabbed the weapon and started shooting at the targets. I noticed how good I was at this. Arrow after arrow hit the bullseye. I had done some archery back home at school, but I wasn't particularly good at it. In fact, I was very bad at it. How I kept hitting the targets was beyond me. After a while I got pretty tired and I took a break, while still being in awe of my new skills. I could get used to this. I may even be able to help out on the battlefield this way.

I went to a nearby bathroom and got some water. I usually didn't like water very much, but seeing where I am, I'm not going to act difficult about some water. When I got back to the shooting range, Takumi was there, practicing.

'Hey, Takumi. What a surprise.'

He turned around, he almost looked like he got caught while performing a crime or something. He tried to hide it, but he knew that it was exactly what it looked like.

'Oh, hey. Listen. Don't tell anyone I've been practicing, they would think I'm a weakling. I need to have an image of strength toward our new recruits. On the battlefield I may be good at taking out enemies, but that's only because the Fujin Yumi, my weapon, helps me to do it. It's mostly in the weapon. That's why I wanted to train.'

'You have my word, I won't tell anyone. But really, training is a good thing! It keeps you sharp. I think that the way that you're staying dedicated by training when everyone is asleep truly exudes strength.'

'Thank you. I know I've been harsh on you, but I just wanted to protect everyone. My sisters and my brothers, I couldn't have a potential spy under our roof and do nothing about it.'

'I understand. All your concern was justified. I just hope that from now on, we can finally get along.'

'I'd like that. You will probably be staying here for a while. Since the others are already fond of you, I guess we should make the best of it. With that said... do you want to train with me?'

'Of course! But why me? I don't know the first thing about archery. It isn't used that much in my world anymore, just as a sport.'

'Well, you're here now right? I saw you shoot that arrow the first time we met. You seemed to know what you were doing.'

'You see, that's the thing, it's pure intuition. Ever since I got here, I've been better at archery than I've ever been, but I don't know any techniques or something like that. Perhaps you could teach me some of the basics.'

'Hmm... How odd. But it doesn't matter. I will teach you some useful techniques. Get next to me.'

I took the bow from Takumi and as rude and suspicious he was about me a few hours ago, he was now kind and helpful. It was a true transformation. He taught me some things that he usually does when on the battlefield. I could feel myself improving by the minute. Hours and hours went by, and before we realised it, it was morning.

'Dexter, I think the sun is coming up. We have to go.'

'I know, but Takumi, can I ask you one last thing?'

'Quickly.'

'Can I join your recruits? I want to show what I can do on the battlefield, and I want to make myself useful while I'm here. I think that after tonight, I may just stand a chance out there.'

'I would love to have you. But I won't let you go to battle just yet, you don't have enough experience, you might kill yourself out there. You can take the rest of today off, tomorrow will be your first day under my leadership.'

'Thank you, Takumi. I'm glad I met you here tonight, it did us both good I think.'

'Me too.'


	9. Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter follows a few of the royals in their activities.

**Chapter 9: Calm Before the Storm**

 

I woke up late in the early afternoon with a feeling of overwhelming joy. I had finally won Takumi over. Better yet, I was joining his recruits. I was going to spend a lot of time with him, which felt great.

Today was the last day without any training, so I had the whole castle to go around. I could go do some more archery, I could talk to the royals, anything. I went out to see Corrin, who was busy making a strategy for an upcoming battle.

'Hello Corrin, good afternoon.'

'Good afternoon, Dexter. Did you have a nice sleep?'

'I slept like a rock. I see you're devising a strategy. What kind of battle is it?'

'We're going out to free a village from hostile faceless.'

Faceless. Conjured up by magic, faceless were emotionless monsters, who were all born the same. They were created by taking the remains of a dead human, and bringing it to life with magic. Because the souls of the humans had already left the remains of their bodies, the monsters all had no faces.

I gave Corrin a suggestion: 'I see you want to attack from all sides to force them into a corner, but the faceless will become furious and go on a rampage. They'll be completely unpredictable. Think of how many lives it would cost. Instead, you should try separating them from each other, so you can easily take them out in a few groups.'

'Interesting idea. You'd make a good tactician, Dexter. Thank you.'

'I was just saying my thoughts, no need to thank me.'

'I insist, really. By the way, have you settled in to the castle a bit?'

'I have. Everyone is so nice and friendly here. My stay couldn't be better.'

'That's good to hear.'

'...Corrin, I've been meaning to ask you, are you doing okay? You've been through a lot, but you never seem to open up about it. Even though we just met, you can trust me. If anyone needs to get something you off their chest, I always try to be there.'

'I appreciate your concern for me, but I'm okay. I've got my family, Azura, and now you with me. I'll be fine. I do admit that I miss Nohr. I haven't seen Xander, Leo, Camilla and Elise for months. I would love to see them again soon.'

'I see. Just believe that you'll see them soon, and you will, in due time.'

'Thank you.'

Camilla, Elise, Leo and Xander were the royal family of the kingdom of Nohr. Corrin was raised by them, along with their father, king Garon. While the Nohian royals looked intimidating on the outside, they were really not. Exactly the opposite, really. Except for Garon. Garon was once a respectable man, but power got to his head, and he turned into a tyrannical madman.

I wondered if I would meet them soon. While I looked forward to meeting Xander and the others, I'd rather stay away from king Garon as much as possible. You never know what he might do to me, seeing as I have an 'interesting' backstory, to say the least.

I said goodbye to Corrin and went back to the big castle halls. I saw Takumi at the shooting range. I waved at him from a distance, to not interrupt him. He put his hand up in response. I smiled and went to the kitchen, where the meals for tonight were in full preparation. Smells that could only be described as godlike entered my nose. The cooks looked like they were having a hard time, sweat was rolling down their face, showing how hard they were working. Then again, it could also be the heat. Who knows.

Once I walked out of the kitchen, I saw Sakura walking upstairs. She had a healing rod in her hand. She must be going off to heal some of the injured soldiers.

'Hey, Sakura!'

Surprised by my sudden call, Sakura turned around with a relieved look on her face.

'Oh, Dexter! I thought you were someone else. Unfortunately, I have to go. I have to heal the injured soldiers.'

'I don't know if I should be asking this, but would it be okay for me to go with you? I'm bored to death, I have to do something, so I might as well help you out.'

'O-oh, sure! J-just be sure to hurry up! Every second counts!'

Sakura put on a determined face and charged forward. I respect her a lot. She has this warm, sisterly personality to her. No, motherly even. She always looked out for everyone. That's the reason she became a healer. A gifted mage who can heal the injured with special rods and staves.

Sakura and I went down a hall, until we arrived in what just HAD to be the sick room. It had a little office in it, presumably the doctor's, who must have been hard at work, because the people looked horrible. There were injured soldiers and sick civilians all over. It had to be the worst place I had ever been to in my life.

'Gods, Sakura, this is horrible...'

'I know... I still hate the sight of this place. It's always pain and sadness in here, you can feel it in the air. I have to get to work, quickly!'

Sakura ran out in front of me to a man in the back of the room. I felt a little lost without her, so I walked over to her. On the way there, a man on a bed clamped on to my leg. He kept saying: 'Help me, help me. Please, help me'. The man looked like he was on the brink of death. His skin was almost as white as snow. There were plucks of hair scattered all over his bed, and he was dangerously thin. I had to do something, I couldn't leave this man like this.

'Sakura! Where can I find a healing rod?!'

Sakura pointed at a closet in the office. 'Over there! But why do you need a-'

I told the man to stay calm, and I ran to get the healing rod as fast as my legs could carry me. I realised that Sakura was trying to speak to me, but I wanted to help this man as fast as possible. When I ran back, I took the time to notice how Sakura was healing multiple people at once. She never wanted to let anyone down, but now she worked herself down to the bone to make sure these people were okay, while also keeping an eye on me.

I got back to the sick man, and firmly placed both hands on the healing rod. I closed my eyes and prayed that it would work. I didn't want to look like a fool, but I also didn't know what I was supposed to do. Suddenly, it felt like my blood was flowing faster and faster, and before I knew it, the rod was glowing, and bandages with weird symbols flew out. They attached themselves to the man in front of me, and lit up as well. The man screamed, and it looked like he was in pain. Sakura quickly got up from her position.

'Dexter, stop! You're not a healer! You can't heal him, you're only making it worse!'

In shock, I dropped the rod on the floor. The man stopped screaming. He stopped moving. He stopped breathing. He stopped doing anything.

I killed him.

I tried to wake him up, but he was gone. The other patients looked at me in horror, fearing what their fate could be. They thought they were next. I felt disgraceful.

'Sakura, I... I didn't know, I was trying to help this man! Please, forgive me. I never should have come here.'

'Dexter, your heart is in the right place, but I think it's best if you leave now. Leave the patients up to me, the doctor and the other healers.'

I nodded, and I left the room.  
I felt like a failure. Not only had I interfered with Sakura's duties, I had killed someone while doing so. I hoped my consequences wouldn't be too severe. I would more than likely hear about this at dinner.

It was just a matter of time.


	10. Embrace the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter has to explain himself for the events in the sick room.

**Chapter 10: Embrace the Dark**

 

I locked myself up in my room. I couldn't stand face to face with Ryoma, Corrin, Takumi, or Hinoka. Not when I killed one of their people. I took this man away from this world too early. Sakura could have healed him, and he could have returned to the family and friends that were waiting for him to recover. I caused those people pain too.

Thinking about it, my family and friends are probably in the same situation right now. I got taken away from them in an instant, and I may never go back. They might have lost me too. Man, this situation is completely messed up.

I collapsed on my bed. I closed my eyes, and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, a servant stood beside my bed, asking me to follow him to the feast hall. I got up and while I was still a bit numb, it hit me that this was going to be the moment of truth. I had to face the royal family and tell them what I did. Surely the word would have gotten out by now.

Everyone was already seated, and ready to eat. I sat down, expecting to be verbally attacked any second. As I expected, Ryoma didn't cut me any slack.

'Dexter, I heard what happened at the sick room today. What happened was unacceptable. You claim to know our world, but you didn't stop to consider why people other than healers never use healing rods. Do you care to explain yourself?'

'Ryoma, please listen! I never intended for this to happen. I saw this man suffering, and I wanted to help him! I couldn't sit idly by and do nothing.'

'You have good intentions, but healing the injured isn't your responsibility. You should have called Sakura or one of the other healers. I'm afraid that-'

'C-can I say something brother?'

From the corner of the table, Sakura's voice echoed through the room. Ryoma looked surprised.

'Sakura, this timing isn't appropriate. Is it important?'

Sakura stood up from her chair, and began speaking:

'Y-yes, it is! Wei, the man that died, was in terrible condition for a while. He wasn't getting better, so the healers and I feared the worst was going to happen eventually. Wei kept asking us when the end was going to come, but Hoshidan law doesn't allow us to kill civilians, even if they WANT to die. By ending his life, Dexter did Wei the greatest pleasure in the world. He could now rest in peace. Please brother, I want you to reconsider about Dexter's judgement, and see if a law can be put in place. A law where people can have healers take their lives when they don't want to live anymore. We can't allow those hurt by war to suffer any longer than they need to.'

Everyone, including myself, was speechless when Sakura sat back down on her chair. Ryoma quickly regained his composure.

'Sister, I am in complete awe. I appreciate that you stand up to me. If you believe in it, I shall make it my priority to process this change in Hoshidan law. You have grown into quite the young lady, Sakura. I couldn't be more proud.'

Ryoma smiles at Sakura, and then, he turns his attention to me.

'As for you, Dexter, seeing as Sakura put a new light on the situation, I shall let this slip-up go. But if this happens again, I cannot let you go unpunished. You're to be treated equal to the other citizens of Hoshido.'

'I understand. Thank you, Ryoma.'

Right as I said that, I took a look at Takumi, sitting at the head of the table. He looked like he took a sigh of relief. When we made eye contact, he looked away instantly and acted very nervously, before quickly regaining his composure a moment later. Ryoma took charge again.

'With that load off our backs, let's enjoy this dinner.'

With that, everyone ate as much as they could. The food was great, just like yesterday. Today we had lobster with some Hoshidan vegetables. Everyone kept joking about the lobster looking like Ryoma, but beside his armor, I didn't really see it. Eventually, everyone finished eating, and we all headed out of the feast hall, while the servants took the plates away. Hinoka told me that her pegasus will have a foal soon. She asked me to be the first to see it, after her and Corrin of course, which was an honor. Hinoka was always very fond of Corrin. Everything she did in her life was to find a way to bring Corrin home, when he was still kidnapped by the Nohrians. She was obbiously scarred, but she never, ever let it show. She stood strong, no matter what. I really respected her for that. Hinoka and I parted ways shortly after our conversation, and then Takumi called me over to have a chat.

'You ready for tomorrow, recruit?'

'Haha, yes sir! I'm really excited about it.'

'Just keep in mind, I won't treat you any differently from the others. If you want to be one of the best, you'll have to work as hard as you can.'

'I understand, but like I said, I just want to make myself useful in any way I can.'

'Good. With that said though, do you want to shoot some arrows?'

'You got it! That'll hopefully give a headstart for tomorrow!'

I smiled, and Takumi and I headed towards the shooting range. I used all the techniques he had teached me last time, and this time, Takumi took his Fujin Yumi with him, so we tried to aim for the same targets to make it a bit like a game. The first one to miss an arrow had to do something for the other. Of course, I ended up missing a bunch of arrows, while Takumi had everything under control. I went around the castle getting drinks, food and everything in between as I missed a shot. However, I felt like I was improving, and after a while, Takumi's shots and mine reached perfect sync. Arrows flew through the air like it was raining, and with the Fujin Yumi's energy arrows mixed in between, it was truly a sight to behold.

It was 9PM, and Takumi and I decided to call it quits.

'You did good today, Dexter. Your shots at the end were perfect. Keep that up. Who knows, someday you may be leading a squad of your own.'

'You really think so? I... I don't know what to say. Thank you!'

'You have the talent for it, I can see it happening if you keep it up. But first, you'll be under my supervision. So, I want you to be at the training grounds at sunrise, and don't be late, okay?'

'Yes sir! I'll be there.'

'Great. See you tomorrow, champ.'


	11. Training Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter follows his first day of training under Takumi's supervision.

**Chapter 11: Training Day**

 

I was used to putting an alarm on my phone when I went to bed every night, to make sure I'd get up in time for whatever I had to do in the morning, but tonight, I didn't have to. I was beyond excited to be training under Takumi, and today was the big day.

I saw the first light of the sun was glowing over the horizon, and I ran through the gardens hoping I'd find the training grounds. That was just the thing, I didn't know where training grounds were, because in my excitement, I forgot to ask Takumi. Then I remembered where I had found Hinoka the other day. She was training with her pegasus knights there, that had to be the training grounds. I sprinted to the place, and when I saw grass make way for stone, I found Takumi walking in the distance.

'Hey, Takumi! Good morning!'

Takumi stopped to look behind him, and I caught up to him.

'Good morning Dexter!' Takumi smiled. 'I didn't expect anyone so soon. I still need to set up the targets.'

'Oh, am I too early? Well, I can at least help you out! What do you want me to do?'

'Here, take these, and put them all up slightly tilted forwards. Put them in whatever places you like. Make it challenging.'

Takumi picked up some targets to hang up while he handed me targets with stands on the bottom, so you could place them wherever you wanted. I looked for some good spots to put them in, and I put them in some pretty nasty places. Behind walls, past a puddle of water, but also in easier places, which were usually close by. After we set up the targets, Takumi and I met up again.

'Looking good, Dexter! You did put them in some pretty difficult spots, and not everyone will hit them, but that's what this training session is for. We're going to try!'

'Haha, yeah! I'm pumped!'

On the horizon I saw the first soldiers coming. They were all equipped with gear, while I was still wearing the clothes I found in my room. I didn't even have a bow yet. 

'Dexter, close your eyes.'

I turned myself towards Takumi, and I did as he said. I felt him putting something in my hands.

'Okay, open your eyes.'

I opened my eyes again, and in my hands was one of the most beautiful bows I had ever seen. It was made of wood, with symbols carved out of it. It had a new string attached to it. It basically looked brand new.

'Is... is this for me?'

'Yes. It's my gift to you. I remember when Ryoma gave me my first weapon. I was about 10 years old back then. It was a silver bow, and I felt like the proudest boy in the world. I wanted you to feel the same way. Take good care of it. Oh, and also, you were going to need something to shoot those targets with anyway, right?'

Takumi cracked a smile, and I thanked him for the gift. The soldiers all soon arrived and we had to make a formation, like we were in an army, and in a way, we were, but it didn't feel as serious, or as big as an army. When everyone was all lined up, Takumi began his briefing for today.

'Okay, we have a bunch of exercises and training to do today, so I want to begin quickly, but before I do, I want you all to meet our new recruit. Dexter, come forward and introduce yourself briefly.'

I stepped forward and told them my name, and some other facts about myself, but I didn't get into my origins, as that would raise a lot of questions that I couldn't or didn't want to answer, at least, not right now. Right now, I wanted the training to begin.

'Thank you Dexter. Now, I want you all to do a little warming-up. Keep running in big circles at a moderate pace until I tell you to stop. Clear?'

Everyone suddenly shouted: 'Clear!'. I didn't know I was supposed to, so I was caught off guard. I guess it was something else to keep in mind. 

Everyone put their bows down and started running, I followed behind. The soldiers looked like they were in good physical shape, but I couldn't say the same about myself. I may have improved a lot at archery, but my physical condition was abysmal. I wasn't used to this, I was used to sitting on my ass all day and playing video games. I would occasionally have a sports class in school, but I usually hated those, so I ended up performing as little activities as possible. I noticed that my 'moderate speed' was a lot slower than most of the other soldiers'. I had to ramp up my speed by a lot if I wanted to keep up with them. After a few seconds, I started to feel myself tiring out, but I didn't want to show Takumi how much of a weakling I was. I pressed onward, I had trouble breathing, and everything hurt. After what felt like a century had passed, Takumi finally gave the signal to stop running. I dropped like a dead fly, and I noticed that sweat was dripping off of every possible part of my body. Everybody looked at me, I could tell that some were even trying not to laugh at me. Takumi also looked... intrigued by my current situation. He didn't comment on it though, he just continued like nothing even happened.

'Okay guys, good job. Now, I want you to grab your bows. We are going to start off with some basic standstill shooting. Get 10 arrows, and aim for the middle of the targets. Keep shooting until you run out of arrows. Are we clear?'

'CLEAR!' the soldiers sounded like they were trying to reach the other side of the world with their loud voices. I still hadn't gotten used to repeat after Takumi whenever he said clear, but I was sure it would come in due time. Still tired, I went to get my bow, and I got a quiver with 10 arrows in it. I took a spot and at first I tried aiming for nearby targets. The running had taken its toll on me, so I was shaking like a leaf. When I shot my first arrow, I barely hit the target at all. As I fired more arrows, it got even worse. Not only didn't I get anywhere close to the middle, I also flat out missed the targets a couple of times. This never happened, at least, not since I got here. Takumi noticed that I was struggling, but he didn't come for help. He told me he wouldn't. I would be treated not as a friend, not as an acquaintance even, but as a stranger. Equal to all the others. No special treatment.

After everyone was done firing arrows, we had to get them out of the targets and off the ground, until everyone had 10 arrows in their quiver again. This shouldn't have to be a serious problem, but after the warming up I felt like my legs were going to collapse under my own weight, especially when ducking to get arrows off the ground. I managed to do it though, and Takumi explained a new assignment. This time we were going to do moving shots. That meant that we had to run while shooting arrows at the targets. Takumi made sure to show an example of how to do it, and then we stood in line until it was out turn to shoot. Little did I know, that the people in line had to do push-ups while waiting. I was starting to get the feeling in my arms back, but this sure made a swift end to that. Once it was my turn, every shot missed the targets. I was disappointed and angry at myself, I knew I could do better, but I figured it was all part of the training. I just had to get in shape. Over time it would become better. With that mindset, I struggled on for the rest of the training, until Takumi finally sent us off somewhere in the afternoon.

I wanted to leave as fast possible in case Takumi wanted to talk about my... issues, but Takumi walked in a line straight towards me. There was no escaping it. Here we go.

'Hey Dexter. I have to say, you didn't do great today.'

'Well, thanks for rubbing it in, mister.'

'Hey, no need to get offended. I wasn't done yet.'

'...Huh?'

'While I felt that your archery skills weren't as good as usual, I saw how hard you tried. You gave it your all every time, even if it didn't pay off immediately. If you keep up this attitude, you'll get very far, I'm sure of it.'

'I hope so, but right now I just feel so worthless and weak. I feel like I've let you down by not being as physically strong as my archery skills had made me look to be. What is the point of having great aim, but getting tired after running from an enemy for a few seconds?'

'I understand how you feel. I was like you once. I felt weak and worthless, like you said. I still feel that way from time to time. Living in my sibling's shadows for all of my life has had me feeling like I didn't contribute to anything, like I didn't matter. But after a while, I realised that people around you don't care about what you can and can't do. They care about YOU as a person. They want to see you succeed, but it's okay if you don't right away. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't lock yourself out from people, and don't try to be someone you're not. As far as I know, you're an amazing person. That's what people really care about.'

Hearing Takumi talking like this, I got kind of emotional. His words stuck with me so perfectly, I was blessed to have him as my teacher. I wouldn't switch him for anyone.

'Thank you Takumi. I needed that.'

'You're welcome. I hope you feel a little better. Now, I know you must have had enough already, but could you help me get the targets back? I will carry them back to the castle.'

'What? Are you serious?! Those things are way too heavy, you can't carry them all by yourself!'

'I did it this morning, and I'm fine. It's no problem, really.'

'I'm helping you, whether you like it or not. I may be dead tired, and I may not feel my body anymore, but this is literally too much weight for you to carry on your own.'

'Well, if you insist...'

I went to get the targets I put down in the morning, while Takumi got his. When we were all done, we headed for the castle.

'You know, I was secretly hoping to be training with you ever since I got here, Takumi.'

'Did you? Why? What's so special about me?'

'I don't know, I guess it's just that, in my game, you always seemed like such a nice guy. You may be a tough nut to crack, but you have a good heart. I guess I just related to you the most. I know what it feels like to live in people's shadows.'

'I see. Do you want to tell me what went on back in your world?'

'Sure. I guess it's just that all of my friends did everything so much better than me. They were great athletes, they were attractive people that everyone wanted to be around, and I just... existed. I had some other friends, but me not being able to measure up to the others just outweighed the good things I had, in my mind.'

'I know exactly what you're talking about. Look at it this way. We may live in the shadows, but we can still meet each other there. We have each other. If you want to talk about something, come and talk to me.'

'Thank you, I feel the same way. You can always come to me for help and advice, if you need it.'

'I will.'

Takumi and I approached the castle, when I noticed a big shadow in the distance. It looked like it was coming closer.

'Takumi, do you see that?' I pointed at the weird silhouette.

'I do. ...Wait a second, it's coming at us. Dexter, drop the targets, run!'

Takumi dropped everything and ran from the shadow. It took a few seconds for me to process what was happening, but the silhouette got closer much faster, and the closer it got, the more it started to look like a giant tail. I ran away as fast as I could, but the tail went at me too fast. At this rate, I wouldn't make it. Just when I thought I was lost, I felt a hand grab me by my arm and pull me away fast. Takumi had come back for me. We ran as fast as we could, and we barely managed to dodge the monstrous tail as it smashed into the left side of the castle, leaving it completely in ruins. Takumi and I got thrown a few meters back as a strong gust of wind came at us. Shortly after impact, the culprit vanished without a trace.


	12. Twisted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter and Takumi investigate the damage done after the shadow's attack.

**Chapter 12:**

 

The damage was colossal. There was debris everywhere, and the whole left side of Castle Shirasagi had been completely wiped off the map.

'Gods, this... this is a tragedy.' Takumi stood up and reached out his hand to help me up.

'What was that? It looked like a tail. Have you ever seen it before?'

'I haven't, no. But there's no time to waste! We have to see if everyone's safe!'

'Right!'

We ran for the castle, and as we arrived, we saw Ryoma coming at us. At least he was okay.

'Ryoma! I'm so glad you're okay.'

Takumi ran at Ryoma and gave him a big hug. It was really heartwarming. I almost felt guilty for even being around, I might ruin the moment. Takumi quickly regained his sense of duty.

'Is our family okay?!'

'Yes, they had been evacuated in time. Luckily, the people on the watch tower had spotted the shadow well before it hit the castle.'

Takumi took a sigh of relief. I was relieved too. I think everyone was, but I had to ask the horrible question.

'Were there any lives lost, Ryoma?'

Ryoma remained silent, and he stared at the floor. I knew that meant no good. I decided not to ask any further. The silence lingered for a few moments, but then Takumi offered to go inside. Ryoma and I followed, and soon we made our way into the castle's main hall, which had certainly seen better days. The gold walls were all bent or snapped apart entirely, vases and supporting pillars were destroyed, everything in the hall was in ruins. Azura and Corrin walked down the stairs on the right side of the castle, or what was left of it. Corrin and Azura greeted us, and then we discussed what to do next. Corrin made up a plan to follow.

'So, I think it would be wise to have some soldiers put off of the army to have them help to rebuild the castle. They're strong, they will be a huge help. We should also gather all of our building materials to get the left wing back to its original state as much as possiblde. Meanwhile, I think castle activity should resume as normal. We want to keep going in case this threat strikes again. If we can plan its next move, we may be able to stop it, but we need to heal our wounds first.'

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Corrin and Ryoma left to get the ball rolling. Azura went back to her room, and I was going to do the same to catch my breath for a second, but then I realised that my room was in the castle's left wing. I didn't have a room anymore.

'Takumi, I'm not really sure where to go now.'

'I understand. I'll go talk to Ryoma for a solution, you can wait here. I'll be right back.'

Takumi ran in the direction Ryoma and Corrin went, and I was left to wander the ruined halls. Servants were already hard at work, cleaning the place up where possible. I really admired the servants, because really, it was a job I would never want to do. In a way, they're also working for me, since I'm so close to the royals. That's truly admirable to me. Meanwhile, I saw Takumi coming back, I was hoping there would be some good news, and I wasn't disappointed.

'So, apparantly there are no available bedrooms anymore.'

'But where do I go then?'

'You can stay in my room. I still have an extra bed that's not being used. I hope you don't mind.'

If only he knew. Actually, no, he shouldn't know. He should never know about my feelings towards him. If anything, it would make things much more difficult than they need to be. I did love the fact that I got to spend even more time with Takumi now.

'Of course not! I'm happy as long as I have a place to go. Besides, I was getting a bit lonely in my own room anyway. It'll be fun, I'm sure of it.'

'Great! Follow me to my room then, I might as well show you where it is now.'

I went after Takumi, and shortly after we got to his room. It was a really cool-looking room. The walls were painted in a beige color with a wooden floor. It had 2 twin size beds, a desk, a sort of chair hanging from the ceiling, a hammock, a table with 4 chairs, and a display for Takumi's Fujin Yumi, which had fallen on the ground due to the havoc caused by the shadow. Takumi put it back on the pedestal and showed me my bed.

'Here's your bed. Again, I know this situation isn't ideal, but we'll have to deal with it.'

'I really don't mind Takumi, it's perfect. I'm really excited to be staying here, actually.'

'Oh. How come?'

I didn't expect him to ask why I was excited. I couldn't tell him the full truth, but I could tell him part of it.

'You know, so far you are my favorite person here, and even before we met, in my game, I already admired you. I think it's nice to be able to spend a lot of time with you by sharing your room. If anything, I hope I'm not the one invading your personal space.'

'No, no, you really don't. Please, make yourself comfortable here, I want you to stay for as long as you want. Ever since Ryoma and I were too old to sleep together, I've been longing for a roommate.'

Takumi smiled, and then he walked to the back of the room.

'Here Dexter, take a look at this.'

There was a door next to Takumi's bed, and when he opened the door, I saw a bathtub. I hadn't showered for days, so I was relieved to see something to clean myself in, and it was right in my room. It couldn't be more perfect.

'It's great, isn't it? You can use it anytime you want. But I think that was about it for the room tour. I'm going to ask Ryoma if there's anything we can do. Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back.'

Takumi left, so I had the room all to myself. I wanted to peek into Takumi's things, but I didn't want to be disrespectful. I just sat down on the bed, thinking about everything that happened. First, I got blown away by Takumi's training, then the shadow attacked, and now I'm here. It was truly a twisted turn of events.

After what felt like years of waiting, the door finally opened to Takumi.

'Ryoma says there is nothing the two of us can do right now. Everything has been taken care of, so Ryoma told us to catch our breaths and relax for a while. With that said, is there anything you want to do?'

'Nothing in particular. In my own time I like to read history books and play shogi.'

'I see. ...I was wondering, could you learn me how to play?'

'Of course! I'll get the board and pieces.'

With that, Takumi taught me the rules of shogi. We stopped when dinner time came around, but after that, we continued right where we left off. It was a fun, strategic game, much like chess. The hours went by, and soon it was late at night. About time to go to bed.


	13. Night Owls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter and Takumi grow closer.

**Chapter 13: Night Owls**

 

When Takumi and I were done playing shogi, I asked him if I could take a bath. Of course, it was no problem, but we were called for dinner first.

Everything went down as usual. The food was great. This time, we had miso soup, Takumi's favorite. Usually, when I went to a sushi restaurant, I HATED miso soup, but this one was really good. The flavor still took some getting used to, but in a good way. It was different, but good. Unfortunately, there was no sushi, but there were a lot of other fish-related dishes. It seemed like a buffet, with a bunch of different dishes to choose from, instead of a set one. It was a nice change of pace, and I definitely ate until I felt like I was going to explode.

When Takumi and I got back to his room, I wanted to finally take my bath. Takumi sat down and started reading some history book, and in the meantime, I entered the bathroom. The bathtub looked a lot like those really expensive bathtubs, with stones in different colors. If anything, it looked like something that someone in my world could have. I wasn't sure how the bath worked, so I called Takumi over. He showed me how the bath worked, I undressed myself and got into the bathtub, while Takumi went back to his room. It was great, having a relaxing moment like this after such a long and stressful day. I was honestly surprised the water system still worked after today, let alone the warm water. As the bathtub filled, I closed my eyes and let everything go. I always loved taking baths, even though we didn't have a bathtub at home. It had a therapeutic effect on me. If I wanted, I'm sure I'd be able to fall asleep while taking a bath. Now, that's not a great idea in this situation. That reminded me, maybe Takumi wanted to take a bath too. I might have to get out a little faster than usual.

'Takumi! Do you want to take a bath later?'

'Oh, yeah! Take your time though, we've got all the time in the world.'

'Okay!'

I let my head rest on the edge of the bathtub, and I just played around with the water a little bit. I started to notice that I had a slight headache. It was nothing major, so I didn't care about it too much. I played around with the water for a bit. After a while, I went underwater to clean my hair, but when I did, I noticed that my headache was getting worse. Not only that, buy my wounds inflicted my Konas started to hurt again. This wasn't good. Suddenly, the pain spiked. It hurt so much, it hurt just as much as when I was still in my world.

'AAAAAGH!!!' I couldn't hold it in anymore. I didn't want to involve Takumi, definitely not right now, but I needed to let something out to relieve the pain a little.

'Dexter?! Are you okay?! What's going on?!'

It hurt so much, but I needed someone to get help, someone had to know what was going on.

'...Open the... open the door! Come in!'

Not a second later, Takumi smashed open the door with a loud bang. There he was. He saw me. Vulnerable. Naked. I would have loved this moment, if only it were under different, more favorable circumstances.

'Dex, what's going on?!'

'Ngh... the pain... it's back...'

'You mean Konas' trick?!'

'Y-yeah...'

'I'm going to get you out of there first. Hold on to me if you need to.'

Takumi reached into the water and picked me up. He carried me out of the bathroom, and put me onto his bed.

'Hold on, I'm going to get Sakura!'

'Takumi... thank you.'

'You don't need to thank me, just stay conscious until I get back!'

Takumi sprinted out of the room, into the hallway. I was still on his bed. The pain was relentless, it was like my brain was being ripped out of my skull and my skin being torn off. I screamed and cried. I kicked around, praying help would come soon. Then, I heard a familiar voice.

~You, are the ocean's gray waves~

It was Azura. She sang her song, and my pain lessened. Takumi was standing behind her. Slowly but surely, my pain faded away completely. It was a miracle.

'Azura... you can cure me?'

'Yes, I can, but only temporarily. It will come back in due time.'

'Thank you so much. That pain was unbearable.'

'You should thank Takumi. He came to see me. If he hadn't shown up, I wouldn't have known what was going on.'

I bursted out in tears. Even though these people barely knew me, they did everything in their power to help me. Takumi and Azura comforted me by giving me a hug. It really picked me up.

When Azura sings her song, she sacrifices a lot. I know what goes on. Because of the power of the song and her pendant, she inflicts pain on herself. It comes in a while after she sings, so she makes sure no one's around when it happens. She hurt herself to help me. I would repay her somehow, someday.

Now that everything was back to normal, I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Everything was still... visible, so I just wanted to put on some clothes.

'Azura, Takumi, thank you so much, but I have to ask a quick question. Could I maybe have some clothes?'

Takumi seemed surprised by this question, but he quickly regained his composure.

'Oh, of course! I totally forgot, I'm sorry. Here, you can wear some of my clothes.'

Takumi and I had about the same build. We were about as tall as the other, we both didn't have very broad shoulders, Takumi only had a more muscular build, so I would be able to wear his clothes just fine. Takumi handed me an outfit similar to his. It had a red shirt, brown pants and matching boots, along with a black boxer short and black socks.

'Thank you Takumi.'

I put on the clothes, and I was surprised to see how well they looked on me. It fit perfectly too.

'Well, I think my work here is done. If you don't mind, I'm off to bed.'

Azura took her leave, and after Takumi and I said our goodbyes, we were back to where we started, just me and him. It wasn't that late, so I still wanted to do something before going to bed.

'So, do you want to try playing shogi with me one more time? I want to play you a lot, my goal kind of is to beat you.'

'Ha! I've mastered this game, you really think you stand a chance?'

'Bring it on!'

We went to sit at the table and we went on to play a game of shogi. Takumi teached me some new tactics while playing, and I got to the point where I actually started to get a good grasp on the game's rules and possible strategies. The game lasted for quite some time, so when we were done, it was definitely time for bed. However, we totally forgot that Takumi's bed was still wet.

'Oh man, Takumi, do you need help changing the sheets?'

'Well, that's the thing. My old ones were being cleaned by the maids. I don't have any I can use right now.'

Wow. For a castle, this place certainly was lacking in the bedsheet department. Then again, Takumi usually had another bed to sleep in if his own wasn't the optimal choice for some reason.

'Oh. So, what are you going to do then?'

'Well... Is it okay if we share a bed tonight?'

I was shocked. Takumi and me, in the same bed. I felt all sorts of weird emotions going through me. No, I knew what it was. I had butterflies in my stomach. I wasn't going to let it show, though. It would certainly ruin the great bond we had built up. I wasn't going to put that at risk for something like that. It was never going to work out the way I wanted it to anyway.

'Sure, this is your room after all, and to be fair, it's not the first time I've shared a bed with someone. Think nothing of it.'

'Good. Then I'm going to get ready for bed.'

Takumi took his clothes off, and revealed his great body. He was muscular, but just right. Not too much, like you see those overly trained 'cool boys', just subtle. He didn't go for the bathroom though. I didn't see any toothbrushes around when I was in there, or anything that looked like it, so they probably didn't have them invented yet. I guess they clean their mouths another way, because I wasn't smelling anyone's breath at all. I followed Takumi's example and took off my clothes too, and got into bed next to him. I wanted to cherish this moment, so I wasn't going to let him go to sleep just yet.

'Well, that was quite the day, wasn't it?'

'Yeah. It's crazy how much can change in one day. How are you feeling?'

'Oh, I'm fine. My muscles are just a little sore from the training. I'll hopefully get used to it.'

'It's all part of the process. The recruits you saw today, they were all like you. They were trained by Ryoma at first, until I got old enough to do it. As the crown prince, Ryoma had other duties to attend to, so I took over.'

'I see. You know, even though I was on the verge of passing out multiple times, I enjoyed the training. I can't wait for tomorrow. Speaking of, shall I help you set things up again?'

'I'd appreciate the help. We'll get up in time. If you're still asleep, I'll wake you up.'

'Alright. I'll do the same if you're still sleeping, but somehow I don't think that's going to happen, not with your discipline.'

'I'm not THAT disciplined, but I suppose it's unlikely, yes.'

We both chuckled, but then I started to wonder about something.

'Takumi, have you ever had a girlfriend?'

He looked quite surprised. In fact, I think it was the most puzzled look I'd seen on his face since I got here, but he answered eventually.

'...Well, no. I haven't. A few times, women would come up to me, but I usually rejected them. I thought they usually wanted to gain advantage of my status. Besides, Ryoma is always the one getting all the attention. Then again, I don't mind it. I have a lot of other things on my mind, other things I want to do. A relationship would take up all the free time that I have. Now, I'm kind of curious myself, so I think I have the right to throw the question right back at you. What about you?'

I had been looking for a boyfriend for a few years now. Not very intensively, but I usually just casually browsed Tinder to see if I would get any matches. Now, I wasn't going to tell Takumi about my sexuality. I was in a time where it probably wasn't accepted yet, and that's putting it lightly. If anyone found out, they would probably imprison me, or worse. I wasn't going to let that happen.

'Well, to be honest, I feel the same way as you. I really treasure my free time, so having someone in my life would take up a lot of that time. Besides that, I haven't really gotten any female attention, unless you count relationships from elementary school.'

'Elementary school?'

'Oh, right. That's the name for the first school you go to in my world.'

'Oh, I get it.' Takumi chuckled.

'I guess were both pretty bad at love, huh?'

'I guess we are.'

Now that we were close to each other, I had a bit of time to look at Takumi's beautiful brown and gray eyes. People say that eyes are the window of the soul, and for him, it was definitely the case. His eyes emit all of his best traits. Kindness, bravery, wisdom, everything. After a while, I noticed that Takumi was becoming awfully quiet. At first, I thought it might have been because he was getting tired, but he kept his eyes open. He was just avoiding eye contact. That's when I realised there was more going on.

'Takumi, is everything okay?'

He didn't answer. He kept staring at the wall, with no sign of life coming out of him.

'Hello? Can you-'

All of a sudden, Takumi moved his head towards mine. In a matter of moments, our lips touched. I was completely in a swirl of emotions. I was shocked and surprised, but I was also overflowing with happiness. This is what I had secretly dreamed about ever since I played Fire Emblem Fates. Not in my lifetime did I imagine it to come true, but here we are. Me and Prince Takumi were kissing. I closed my eyes and went along with it. This was my first kiss, so I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew it felt right. After a while, we stopped.

'Dexter... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done this, this was completely uncalled for. You're a man, I shouldn't even begin to do this. Why did I do this? What the hell was I-'

'Takumi, stop. I'm not mad at you. In fact, I was secretly hoping this would someday happen. I didn't want to tell you, because I was afraid what the people would do if they found it out about me,  but I'm attracted to men, and I have been attracted to you ever since I started getting to know you. Don't beat yourself up, you weren't making a mistake.'

Takumi listened to me in a state of disbelief, but that made way for relief.

'I'm so happy to hear that. I'm honestly confused. I've never had feelings like this before, but I feel... at ease with you.'

'I'm so happy to hear that. I've never thought that you would feel this way about me. Honestly, I'm overjoyed.'

'So, Dexter... will you marry me?'

I was quite blown away by that question, but I knew it was the standard to get married to someone you loved, without having a 'phase' before that. When I considered that, it just meant that he loved me and wanted to be with me. It's just the way things work around here. However, I stopped to consider some major consequences of this relationship.

'I would love to be, but I want you to think about this first. Would people be okay with a prince falling in love with a man? I'm also probably not going to be here forever. I will go home if I find a way back, and there might be no going back. Are you prepared to handle all of that?'

'It's true that it would be hard for me if you were to leave, yes, but if I had the chance, I would go with you, no matter what.'

'But... I really don't want you to carry that burden for me. The reason I want to go back home in the first place are the very people you'd be leaving behind. Your family, and your friends. Would you give that all up for me?'

'Without a doubt. I would go anywhere for you. I want to be with you for as long as I'll live, I'm sure of it. I guess Hoshido will have to get used to the idea of a new prince, but I must ask you too, are you ready to bear that burden?'

'As long as I'm by your side, I can take anything. Just maybe, we can change the way people in Hoshido think of people who like the same gender. Do you think we can tell your siblings?'

'I'm sure they will be quite shocked, but I also know they'll be happy for me, and for you.'

'I'm glad to hear that. So, with that off my chest, yes Takumi, I would love nothing more than to marry you.'

Takumi and I shared a nice and sweet kiss, before finally falling asleep, in each other's arms.


	14. Burdened Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting his proposal from Takumi, Dexter spends the next day with training under him.

**Chapter 14: Burdened Hearts**

 

Morning had arrived, and I woke up to the sound of Takumi's beating heart. It was an amazing feeling. I was getting married to Takumi. It still felt surreal. I realised that we had training today, and as I hated to do it, I woke up Takumi.

'Hey, wake up.'

Takumi slowly started moving and stretched his arms and legs.

'Hey, good morning. Are you ready for training today? If you don't want to go today, I can cover up for you.'

'No, of course I want to go. It's good for me, I wouldn't miss out on it. Plus, I get to spend more time with you, and to be honest, there's nothing better than spending more time with you.'

Takumi chuckled. 'That's nice to hear, we'll get breakfast and we'll go. I think we should tell my family about... us, at dinner.'

'That sounds good. It might be a great shock for them, and at dinner we'll have more than enough time to talk about it.'

'Yeah.'

Takumi and I shared a kiss and we put on our clothes. Takumi got into his standard outfit, and I put on what Takumi had given me yesterday. We both grabbed our bows and we went out the door, to the feast hall, where we had a quick breakfast. No one else was around, so it ended up just being me, Takumi and the servants. We had some nice bread, which looked a lot like corn bread. We ate a few sandwiches, and after that we got some flasks of water, and we went for the training grounds. On our way we took the targets, and once we arrived at the grounds, we scattered them all around like we had done yesterday. While carrying the targets I noticed how much my muscles hurt, but I was determined to try just as hard as yesterday, I hoped to at least hit more targets today. When Takumi and I were done setting up the targets, most of the soldiers had already arrived. I hastily got into formation, and Takumi started the training.

'Okay, welcome everyone. I hope you have all been able to handle the current situation, and I hope that you will keep training here. We have to stand up against this looming threat, and we'll have to make ourselves stronger if we want to stand a chance. So, the training is going to ask more of you. We need to get everyone in good shape in case the shadow strikes again. Today you will be sprinting back and forth between the lines I marked on the floor, until I tell you to stop.'

'YES SIR!'

Oh, right, we were supposed to say something after Takumi was done speaking. I didn't care, I was just hypnotized by my future husband. Everyone got into position, and on Takumi's sign everyone sprinted forward. I started off strong, but after about 30 seconds I thought my legs were going to give out. Not only were my muscles hurting like crazy, but my terrible condition came back to haunt me as well. I pushed forward, gradually slowing down more and more. I occasionally glanced to the sidelines, where Takumi would often look at me with a concerned look, but I didn't want him to interfere. I would often smile at him or shake my head, to signal him to stay put. After a few minutes, Takumi gave us the same assignment as yesterday. We had to run and shoot arrows at the same time, but this time we had to do it within a time limit of 10 seconds. That meant we had to fire an arrow once every 3 seconds or so. Of course, after the warming up took all energy out of me, this exercise was a disaster. Not only this one, really, but also all the other ones. 

After all the training, I thought I couldn't possibly be more tired and sore. I walked up to Takumi, who also couldn't help but notice that I looked like a wreck.

'Are you sure you still want to do this? You could just stay in the castle, maybe you're just not cut out to be in an army.'

'No... i-it's all fine. I can take all the cha...llenges you've got in store. I want to help out on the battlefield, st...and by your s-side.'

'Well, if you say so...' 

Takumi smiled. He probably thought I was stubborn, but I wasn't going to give up on this. We grabbed the targets yet again, and we went back to the castle. We put away the targets, and we went back to Takumi's room. I DESPERATELY needed a bath. I was like a leaking sweat fountain back on the training grounds. All the clothes Takumi had given me were soaked. I felt guilty, but he didn't really seem to mind it all that much. I guess he just got used to all of the royal priviliges, all he really had to do is snap his finger and new clothes would be waiting for him. Takumi got me a new outfit to put on, and I entered the bathroom. After I took off my clothes I hopped into the bathtub, and let the water flow in. I noticed there was a new sort of soap that wasn't there before. I scrubbed myself with it, and let my head rest. I closed my eyes, and it was like everything stopped. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.

'...D...ter! D...xter! Dexter! Are you okay? Say something!'

I was confused for a second. Why wouldn't I be okay? Then I realised that I had been asleep. Takumi must have been talking to me, but he never got an answer back. He probably thought I had another headache.

'Oh, sorry. I just fell asleep, I hope I didn't scare you.'

I could hear a sigh of relief coming from Takumi. The water I was sitting in had cooled off a lot, so I got out of the bathtub and put on the clothes I'd gotten. There was a pair of white gloves with no covered fingertops, similar to the ones I got in my first room. Besides that, the outfit was almost identical to the one I'd gotten yesterday, but it did have different colors. The outfit had an emphasis on blue, white and gray, which made me match with Takumi pretty well. How fitting. That reminded me, at dinner, the truth would finally be out. I was starting to enter a slight panic, but then I reminded myself that we were going to tell Takumi's family. I didn't expect Corrin, Azura, Sakura and Hinoka to explode by any means, but the one that left me a bit concerned was Ryoma. He is a caring and loving brother, but I couldn't get a feel for how he'd react to this situation. I guess time will tell.


	15. Nerves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takumi and Dexter try to get the royal family's blessing for their marriage.

**Chapter 15: Nerves**

 

Evening came, and Takumi and I entered the feast hall. Everyone was already there. It was in this moment, that I realised how hard this was going to be. I didn't even know how we were going to approach this. I thought it would've made sense for Takumi to start the conversation, so I waited for him to tell the others. Ryoma greeted us with open arms.

'Ah, Dexter, Takumi! It's good to see you two. Dexter, I heard what happened to you. It's curious indeed. Please, if you have any more pain, you can depend on us to help you. Just say the word.'

'Thank you, Ryoma.'

I couldn't look him in the eye when saying that. Not with this weight on my shoulders. The secret had to get out first, then I would be able to look at them. I am terrible at lying, so I was afraid that they'd see that there was something going on, that they'd see it through my eyes. 

Takumi and I sat down next to each other, and I took a look at today's food. It was a steak, surprisingly enough. I was super happy about that, it was really the only good thing about this moment. The nerves were overwhelming. I felt myself shaking, but I tried really hard to stay still. I started eating, but as soon as Iifted my fork off the table, it became crystal clear that something was up. My hand was shaking like a leaf. Azura was the first one to pick it up.

'Dexter, is something the matter?'

I froze. 'What do I do?', I asked myself. 'Okay, you can talk yourself out of this. Just say that your muscles still hurt. That's pretty believable.'

'Oh, it's nothing. My muscles are still a bit sore from the training.'

'Oh, okay. If you say so-'

'Wait.'

It was Takumi. Oh, here we go. It was going to happen. Takumi was going to tell them. While he stood up, I sat back and braced myself.

'I have to tell you all something. The past few days, I've realised something. It may come as a shock for you, but I'm sure that I'm making the right decision. Yesterday, I proposed to someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. We have only been around each other for a few days, but I know that he's the one.'

It took a few seconds, but when Takumi dropped the word 'he', everyone started to catch on to the fact that things weren't as they seemed. When he saw everyone's disbelief, he continued.

'This... this person that I'm talking about... is Dexter. I love him, and I would love nothing more than for you to approve our relationship.'

I didn't want to leave Takumi standing all alone after putting his feelings down, so I stood up with him, to show him that I was by his side. I had to say, that this was beyond awkward. Everyone was staring at me, and I felt like I had just broken all of their family traditions and beliefs. I was praying to God that anyone, just ANYONE would say something, because this was one silence that was truly nerve-racking. Luckily, my prayers were answered. Corrin was the first to regain his composure.

'Takumi... this is quite a shock. You, and another man, Dexter of all people, it will be highly frowned upon. Two men are not supposed to be in a relationship, let alone get married. What will the kingdom do when they find out they will get another prince and not a princess? The people will surely riot.'

I couldn't let these comments pass me by. Corrin was a wise man, so I was sure that I could prove to him that me and Takumi should be together.

'There is nothing wrong with being attracted to men. Corrin, at first I thought the same as you, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised. Takumi and I can bring change. We can be an example for all men and women who like the same gender. We can change the way things work around here. I will do everything in my power to contribute to this cause in whatever way I have to, and I'm confident that I'm ready to stand alongside you and help rule this country. Please, I hope you can trust and believe in me. I love Takumi, and that will never change, whether I have your approval or not.'

'Dexter, you're very brave. When I hear you speak like you just did, I believe you would make a great leader. However, that's not my concern. I am happy for you two, and I myself am not opposed to your relationship. I'm just afraid that the public will be, definitely because we're talking about someone with a high status. He's a prince. Not only that, you aren't even from this world.'

'Well, I think it's cute!'

Sakura got out of her seat, she looked pretty upset.

'Dexter, Takumi, I think you're great together! I think the people will think the same when they meet you, Dexter. Corrin, don't be so afraid! I think Dexter is right, maybe the people do need to see change before they can change. Please Corrin, just give them a chance.'

'...Very well. I'm leaving it up to the rest of you. Do you think Takumi and Dexter should go through with their marriage?'

I saw Hinoka nodding in agreement. Azura looked happy too. She smiled. Now, the only one who remained was Ryoma. I feared the worst. If we couldn't convince him, everything would be in vain.

'Dexter... Take good care of Takumi. I approve. Everything you've done showed your determination, bravery, and ability to lead. I have no doubt that you will make a great prince, and leader. We will take a look at our options if ever a time comes where you have to leave. For now, I approve.'

I was so relieved to hear Ryoma say this. The king approved of our relationship. I could jump into Ryoma's arms, but I decided to leave it at a handshake.

'I will, with everything I have!'

Ryoma chuckled. 'Very well. I want to bring out a toast to our new royal couple. May they live long and happily together!'

Everyone, even Corrin, who had been skeptical a few moments ago, was cheering for us. It was a great feeling, and Takumi and I gave each other a hug. 

'I'm so happy, Dexter.'

'Me too. I love you, Takumi.'

'I love you too.'

After dinner, Ryoma decided to call a public announcement meeting in the town square, to let the people know about the newly engaged couple. With the royals by our side, I knew that everything would turn out fine. If even the royals approved, the people had to as well. Ryoma decided that Takumi should speak first, and then let me talk to the people. There was no stage set up, just a flat square with a giant statue in the shape of a dragon in the middle. I hid behind it, to not cause an uproar before the news was out.

'Everyone, I thank you for coming. I know this announcement was of short notice, but I have some big news to share with you. I am now engaged. I brought my fiancée with me today, and this will be his proper introduction. I hope you will like him as much as I do.'

The people seemed shocked. They started whispering, and before I knew it, they stopped when I walked from behind the statue.

'People of Hoshido, my name is Dexter. I am prince Takumi's future husband. I have been fortunate enough to meet him, and gain his trust, and respect. I have fallen in love with your prince, and I know what that means. I assure you, that I will lead your country to the best of my abilities. Failure is not an option. I know you may be surprised that I'm a man, and not a woman. I think that it doesn't matter what gender I am, but rather what I can do, what I can accomplish. I ask of you, as hard as it may be, to trust me, and to embrace the idea of people of the same gender coming together. I want to put myself out there to support this cause. If any of you have feelings similar to mine and prince Takumi's, talk about it. There is nothing wrong with it. Let this be the start of a new era, where everyone can live however they'd like.'

I was surprised to hear that the people were as silent as can be. After a few seconds, the people started cheering. I was overwhelmed. That speech took every inch of courage I had, and I was glad to see it paid off. Takumi and I hold our arms in the air, and the people almost went crazy. After a few seconds, Takumi and I walked off, to the castle, along with the rest of the royal family. 


	16. Long Live the Princes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter and Takumi get their own engagement party, set up by the other royals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a bit short guys, I don't have a lot of time on my hands, and I felt like I needed to set up the next chapter like this, which, I assure you, will be longer than this one!

**Chapter 16: Long Live the Princes**

 

Everyone entered the castle halls, and everything was decorated with festive-looking items. The light wasn't too bright due to the removal of several torches, so it all created a nice, relaxed and festive atmosphere.

'SURPRISE!'

Sakura, Hinoka and Azura ran in front of us. Hinoka took charge of the group.

'We arranged this party for you, to celebrate your engagement! I hope you'll like it, you two!' Hinoka smiled and showed us around. I was surprised that this whole party got set up so quickly. Then again, there were a lot maids, butlers and some soldiers around to help, so I guess that explains it. 

There were a lot of people invited. A good number of them came to me to have a chat, which I really appreciated. Most people seemed open to the idea of me becoming their new prince, which really put me at ease.

All things considered, the party was amazing. There was everything, from music to drinks. It was everything you could ever want. Everyone was dancing. Sakura and Azura, Corrin and Hinoka, me and Takumi. It was truly great. After a long night, the time finally came to stop partying and return to the matters at hand. 

'I want to thank all of you for making this party happen. I feel so welcome, and I hope I won't disappoint whenever I'll officially be crowned prince. I hope you have a good night, and I'll talk to you again tomorrow.'

Everybody started clapping after my mini-speech, if you can even call it that. I didn't get why. It wasn't that special, definitely not as special as my first one, but it also felt good. Takumi and I went to our room together, and the rest headed off to their quarters as well. Once we were inside, I had Takumi all to myself again. I jumped into his arms, and we stood there for a while. I felt so great. Even with all the chaos going on in Hoshido, it felt like nothing really mattered anymore when I was with Takumi. We undressed ourselves and got into bed.

'You know, I've been trying to think of a nickname for you. I like the sound of just Dex, so maybe I'll go with that.'

I chuckled. 'I guess I'll call you Kumi then.'

'You can call me whatever you want.'

Takumi and I kissed. It had been the first time since last night, and I wasn't disappointed. At one point, I started to feel Takumi's tongue slowly crawling to mine. Slowly but surely, they touched, and to me, it was like fireworks were going off. After a while, we went to sleep again, the same way we had last night. I fell asleep with my head on Takumi's chest, the only place I'd ever want to fall asleep again.


	17. Sink into the Ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter gets a visit in his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys, another chapter today! I feel like this is one of the best chapters I've written so far, and this is where I really want to have the story pick up steam. Hope you guys like it, and be sure to tell me what you think!

**Chapter 17: Sink into the Ground**

 

I woke up, and everything was dark around me. Takumi was nowhere to be seen. I got a bit worried and decided to look around. Then I started to notice that I wasn't in our room. I walked around more, and came to the realization that I wasn't... anywhere. It was a black void, as far as the eye could see. I turned around, and then, I saw him.

Konas.

'Hello Dexter, it's been a while.'

'Konas?! Where the hell are we?!'

'We're in a void, that's beyond time and space. I called you here.'

'Why?! Is this another one of your dirty tricks?! What did you do to me, anyway?!'

'That is irrelevant. I just wanted to make one thing very clear to you. All the ruin that has come to the kingdom of Hoshido... it's all your fault. You brought this on them. You are doing this to Ryoma, Sakura, Corrin, Hinoka, Azura, and your oh so precious Takumi.'

'I would never do something like that! You don't know a thing about me, you-'

'However, you can stop it. If you don't want my shadow to deliver another devastating blow, this time to the rest of Hoshido, you come to the Valley Settlement at dusk, and you lay down your life. If you do, I will spare the people of Hoshido. If not, the consequences are yours to bear. ...Goodbye.'

Konas vanished, and in that moment, the void started to tear apart. Light was coming through, and before I knew it, I woke up. I shot straight up, and I was breathing heavily. Takumi woke up because of me too.

'...Dexter...? What's going on?'

I broke down. I was so afraid when Konas showed up, and now I had to make this decision. I told Takumi everything, and he couldn't believe it.

'B-but... you're not going to give up your life, are you? I can't lose you!'

'Takumi, I don't think I have a choice. If I don't show up, he'll wipe out Hoshido.'

'We can't trust him! How do you know that he'll keep his word?'

'I don't, but if I don't go, I know one thing for sure. Hoshido will end up in ruins.'

Takumi started crying. He was so vulnerable, and I put him in this situation. I did bring ruin. Not only to Hoshido, but also to him. It was time that I repaid my debt.

'Takumi, I'm sorry, but I have to do this. Please, don't come after me, who knows what Konas will do. I love you, I don't want to see you get hurt.'

'Why?! Do you think you can just run away from me, and everything will be sunshine and rainbows? The people of Hoshido may need you, but I need you too!'

My heart broke. I never wanted to hurt him. Not in the slightest, but I couldn't let Konas wipe everything out.

'Takumi... I don't want to hurt you. I'm sorry I have to do this.'

I turned around, and I wanted to walk out the door, but I felt two hands cling onto me. Takumi's eyes were full of desperation, despair, sadness. I didn't know what to do, or what to say. Nothing I did would ever make up for this. Before I had the chance to say something, Takumi put his arms around me, and he cried even more. I couldn't take it, I had to go. The sooner I left Takumi, the earlier he could move on from me. When he let go of me, I left him. I could still hear him crying as I walked away from our room. I quickly went to the war meeting's hall, and grabbed a map of the area. I ran through the halls of the castle, out into the garden. Then, I followed the path to the town square. When I got there, there weren't many people around yet, as it was still early in the morning. I got out of the town as fast as possible and I found myself on the open plains of Hoshido. I ran, and ran, and a lot of time had passed. It was quite a long time since I left the castle, it had to be the end of the afternoon, from the looks of it. The sun was already on its way down, when the lush, grassy plains started to make way for a snowy mountain. I decided to rest a little before moving on, so I sat down, and let everything sink in. I let my emotions run wild, and once I had calmed down, I moved on. I grabbed my map and I noticed that the Valley Settlement was close by. Time passed, and then, after a long, painful, and heartbreaking journey, I arrived. It was dusk, but I didn't see Konas anywhere.

'Konas?! Where are you?'

'...So, you've arrived. Are you alone?'

Konas came out of hiding, from behind a big, icy crystal.

'Yes. Now, if I lay down my life, will you promise to leave Hoshido alone?'

'Of course. You wouldn't doubt me, would you? We're friends after all.'

That remark made me angry beyond belief. How dare he call me his friend, after everything that's happened, after putting me through this.

'We're not friends. We never were. Now, do what you must.'

'Very well. I'll gladly finish off anyone who is stupid enough to come here alone. You are a valuable asset, and with you gone, I'll be free to do as I please.'

'Wha-?! Konas, we had a deal!'

Konas stretched out his arms, and he started floating into the air. He pulled up his legs and crawled up like a ball. Then, a dark cloud enveloped him. Konas' body started to change shape. He grew bigger, and his hands and feet started to make way for claws, while he grew scales all over his body. On his back, he grew a pair of wings, and soon, he had reached an overwhelming height. The dark cloud dissipated, and it revealed a giant dragon.

'K-Konas...? What are you...?'

'I AM THE FORGOTTEN GOD, THE BETRAYED KING, THE BURIED DRAGON. MY NAME IS ANANKOS.'

It all shot back to me. Anankos. Anankos was the one pulling all the strings in Fire Emblem Fates. He was the invisible threat who made Hoshido and Nohr go to war. The one who ruled the land of Valla, a country hidden beneath the Earth's surface. This was his plan all along. For whatever reason, he wanted me off the map, so he could conquer Hoshido and Nohr himself. My life had been sacrificed in vain.

'Anankos! You underestimate Hoshido and Nohr. I don't know why I'm so important in your little game, but they will kill you, with or without me!'

'REALLY NOW? LET ME ENLIGHTEN YOU WITH SOME INFORMATION. THEY DO NEED YOU. UNLIKE IN YOUR GAME, AZURA'S POWER ISN'T ENOUGH TO WEAKEN ME. THEY NEED THREE SINGERS, ALL WITH A PENDANT LIKE AZURA'S. I AM STRONGER THAN THE ANANKOS YOU KNEW. SO UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, HOSHIDO AND NOHR WILL BE MINE. I WILL FINALLY TAKE BACK WHAT'S RIGHTFULLY MINE!'

Anankos lifted up one of his claws, and got ready to strike down. This was it. I let everyone down, but most of all, I hurt Takumi. This wasn't what I asked for. I was just trying to do the right thing. I hoped that everyone would be able forgive me, and I prepared myself for the worst.

 


	18. Turning the Tides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter struggles to stay alive against Anankos' onslaught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So another shorter one today, but we are nearing the conclusion of Warped Away! I already have the next events in mind, so stay tuned for a new chapter tomorrow!

**Chapter 18: Turning the Tides**

 

Anankos' claw coming ever closer, I thought about my family. I hoped they would be able to move on with me gone. Then, out of nowhere, a powerful explosion hit on Anankos' claw, which caused him to slam down next to me. I had been saved, but by who?

'GRRR... WRETCHED HUMANS, SHOW YOURSELF! YOU WILL GO DOWN WITH HIM!'

~You, are the ocean's gray waves~

From behind the rocks came Azura, but I knew the song wouldn't be enough. I had to warn her.

'Azura, stop! The song doesn't work on him! Run, or he'll kill you too!'

Azura continued singing, and when I looked at Anankos, he did look more... sluggish. His movements were a bit slower than before. Maybe Azura singing wasn't enough to weaken him, but he could be slowed down.

'Wait, keep going Azura! He's slowing down!'

Anankos was readying another strike, so I started running. Then, another explosion hit Anankos. I looked around to see where it was coming from, and there they were. Ryoma and Takumi. They were using their royal weapons to distract Anankos. I ran to them as fast as possible, but Azura was still there.

'Azura! Get over here, we have to go!'

Azura stopped singing and ran over to us, and we made a run for it.

'COME HERE, SONGSTRESS! LET ME LISTEN TO YOUR SONG... UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!'

Anankos didn't want us to leave just yet. Quickly, Azura, Takumi, Ryoma and I ran back the way I came. To Hoshido, but there was no way we were outrunning Anankos. 

'We have to think of something, he'll catch up to us! Ryoma, Takumi, do another one of those attacks you did earlier! It might slow him down!'

Takumi and Ryoma nodded and they prepared their weapons. Together they readied an energy strike, and they unleashed it on Anankos yet again. When it hit, Anankos got pushed back a little, giving us more time. Ryoma suddenly had us run in another direction.

'Takumi, Azura, Dexter, this way!'

We followed Ryoma, with Anankos close behind. After a while, I realised that we had arrived at the bottomless canyon. Certain death awaited everyone who fell into it, unless the skies of Hoshido and Nohr overlapped. Only then, it would connect to the hidden kingdom of Valla, where Anankos was from. He caught up to us, and we were surrounded by him and the bottomless canyon.

'SO, YOU'VE BACKED YOURSELF INTO A CORNER. WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?'

'...Takumi... NOW!'

Ryoma yelled at Takumi, signalling an attack. They readied another explosion, but this time, they hit Anankos' wings. The attack hit its mark, and Anankos stopped flying. He fell down, into the canyon.

'NO! NO! NOOOOOO! I WILL RETURN. I WILL COME BACK. UNTIL THEN, CHERISH WHAT TIME YOU HAVE LEFT. THERE IS NO WAY YOU WILL STOP ME!'

After a few moments, Anankos was out of sight. Takumi jumped into my arms.

'I'm so glad we made it in time! Are you hurt?'

'No, I'm fine.'

Ryoma also had something to say.

'Dexter, what you did was a truly selfless and courageous act, but it was also very dangerous. If we hadn't made it in time, Anankos would have surely destroyed you, and for what? Next time, please. Ask us for help. Together we're a lot stronger than anyone will ever be.'

'I... I understand. I'm sorry Ryoma, Azura, Takumi.'

'My song... my song didn't work.'

It seemed like Azura was talking to herself.

'What's wrong Azura?'

'It's just that... my song should have weakened him. It should have made him vulnerable. Why didn't it work...?'

'Anankos told me. He said that we need the power of three singers, all with their own pendant, similar to yours.'

'I see. We will have to find out who those singers are as fast as possible, we don't know when Anankos will strike next.'

'Agreed, but for now, let's head back to Hoshido.'

 


	19. Take Me Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the encounter with Anankos, Azura, Ryoma, Takumi and Dexter head back to Hoshido.

**Chapter 19: Take Me Home**

 

Azura, Ryoma, Takumi and I were on our way from our encounter with Anankos. I still couldn't believe we did it, but Anankos would return. We had to warn Hoshido and make preparations. Now we knew what kind of threat we were dealing with, and how to conquer it. Find three singers. Suddenly, I realised something.

'Wait, I can fulfill the role of one of the singers! I just need a pendant, and we're set! I feel like my voice has some power to it, I feel like I can do it!'

Azura looked my way and had a moment of euphoria.

'Yes! That would be great. However, I don't know where the other pendants might be. My mother only gave me this one... I don't know if she had any more of them.'

'...Maybe we don't have to find one, we could make one ourselves! Do you know what it's made out of?'

'It's made out of gold, and in the middle is a dragonstone. It will not be easy to find those materials, I'm afraid.'

'That's okay, we'll do everything we can, we have to.'

At this point we were approaching the plains of Hoshido. The capital was still miles away, but we were getting closer nonetheless. Takumi hadn't talked much since he came to my rescue. I hoped that everything was okay. Was this about me?

'Hey, Takumi.'

'...Hey.'

'Is everything alright? You didn't say much since we left the bottomless canyon.'

'I'm fine.'

'Takumi, I'm your future husband, please, if something's wrong, you can tell me.'

'Well then, I'm going to tell you what's wrong!'

Takumi's sudden outburst caught me off guard. Not only that, it got Ryoma and Azura's heads turning too.

'What's wrong is, that you just left me! You never considered to think about how I felt! Like you said, I'm your future husband, and you didn't think about what you did for one second! You just wanted to play the part of the hero, who sacrificed his noble life to the big bad guy! We could have helped you like we just did, but no, you had to do it all by yourself, and leaving ME behind! I don't know what I would have done if Anankos had killed you. That's why I had to go after you, but now, I'm starting to question if I can even trust you anymore. How will I know that you won't run off on me again? Tell me that.'

I was shocked. Everything Takumi said was true, and I didn't know how to react. I loved him more than anything in the world, and him saying this... hurt, but I deserved it. I made him feel this way too. I hurt him.

'Takumi... I'm truly sorry for running away from you. I was too focused on doing what I thought was right, when instead, I could not have been more wrong. I should have asked you for help. I should have asked Ryoma and Azura for help. I should have asked everyone for help. I can't take back what I did anymore, but just know that I love you more than anything in the world, and know that I will never, ever hurt you again. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me for what I did.'

Takumi remained silent for a few seconds. Ryoma and Azura were also silent. You could tell they were incredibly uncomfortable, but there was no way for us to get around them. Not anymore. After a few seconds had passed, Takumi spoke.

'I... I don't know. I thought I would lose you by letting you go. I don't w-want to let go of you again.'

Tears started to well up in Takumi's eyes, and I went to comfort him. We shared a moment in each other's arms, and I whispered:

'From now on, I will never let you go. I'll stay by your side until the day I die.'

I could feel Takumi's grip around me tighten and he started crying even more. Moments pass, and I look Takumi in the eyes. I smiled, and he smiled back at me. 

'I love you, 'Kumi.'

'I love you too, Dex.'

We shared a kiss, and we pressed on to Hoshido, hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I felt like this was a strong chapter in my book. I feel like I created a nice Takumi-Dexter moment, especially. Hope you guys liked it too!


	20. After All These Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After years of working to the goal of defeating Anankos, Dexter and the royals have made full preparations, and are getting ready to march into Valla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry there were no chapters for a few days. Had some stuff coming up, but today, I am posting 2 chapters, this one is the first! As always, I hope you all enjoy it! :)

**Chapter 20: After All These Years**

 

A long, long time had passed since our first encounter with Anankos. After Ryoma, Azura, Takumi and I returned to Hoshido, we started search for gold ore and dragonstones, with the results being very underwhelming. Bit by bit, we found enough gold and enough stones to make more pendants. After 3 years of hard work, we had finally found them. Anankos had attacked multiple times, but we always managed to scare him away or get him back to Valla, similar to how we first scared him off. We even noticed that his wings were getting scarred from all the attacks, which could only mean good things. We also found our third singer in the form of Shigure, Azura and Corrin's newborn son Azura also gave birth to Kana, a princess that looked a lot like her father. They were both placed in one of the deeprealms, safe places across time and space where most children born in the war were kept. However, time moved at a much faster rate in the deeprealms, causing children to grow into adults in mere months. Many of the people I knew got married and had children, but Takumi wanted to hold off on get married. He wanted to save Hoshido first, no matter what. I was initially pretty upset about that. A lot of people got married, so why couldn't we? However, I quickly realised that Takumi only did it out of dedication and willpower. I respected that, and so we all played our part in the search of the materials. Me and Corrin took charge of the search for the dragonstones. It brought us in many, many places. Some places were beyond beautiful, and others were filled with danger. Not even all searches led to something, but in the end, we did make it. The time had finally come to face Anankos. We were ready. We even got help from the Nohrian army, and the royal family. Xander, Camillia, Leo and Elise were all excited to meet us. They told us that their father had passed away because of an unknown illness, so Xander had taken charge of Nohr, and stepped up as king. Ryoma and Xander got along awfully well, they were much alike. Hinoka and Camilla spent a lot of time sewing, and Elise and Sakura were always playing tag, even though Sakura clearly had enough of it after short bursts. Leo and Takumi were initially nowhere near each other. They hated each other. They were called the 'brothers', and they both hated it. Over time however, they grew closer, and they were inseperable. Luckily, the Nohrian royals took a quick liking to me. Our bonds as a group, almost as a family, grew stronger and stronger. Today, we were finally ready to march out. Takumi had given me new armor and a new bow to prepare for the upcoming battle. Me and all the royals got together for one last briefing, before we departed from Hoshido. 

'Everyone, I hope you are all ready for our hardest battle yet. We have worked hard, and I know we can do it. As king of Nohr, I will offer you all the assistance you need. We have our armies waiting in line. Now, for the last time...'

'LET'S MOVE OUT!'

Everyone was pumped and excited. Anankos had done much harm to both Hoshido and Nohr. His wrath was relentless, but now we were going to his territory. We were going to pay him a visit, and no one could possibly stop us. We departed from Hoshido, and we were headed for the bottomless canyon, our only way into Valla. Today was the day where the skies matched over Hoshido and Nohr, so we could all cross into Valla. Once we arrived at the bottomless canyon, we set up camp. Everyone was tired, and we needed to rest for the big fight tomorrow. The royals all got together around a campfire. In a way, we really were like a family. I thought of my real family often, especially at moments like these, but I also knew that there was a high chance that I would have to go back to my world after our battle with Anankos. I didn't want to think about it, so I tried to suppress those feelings of doubt, and worry, and sadness. Elise suddenly jumped up and started yelling.

'Hey, hey! I know what we should do! We should sing, or play a game!'

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Should we play a game, or sing? Right now?

'You know what princess Elise? I think that's a good idea. We should try to lift our spirits! How about we play a word game?'

Takumi stood up defending Elise. I guess he still thought that morale was more important than thinking about the battle at hand.

'Oh, oh, I know!'

Sakura got up and waved her arms back and forth. She clearly wanted the attention of the whole group. I couldn't help but smile.

'We should play animal snake! Someone says the name of animal, and then you have to think of an animal that starts with the last letter of the animal before it! So say, that I say whale, Corrin says eagle! You get it?'

Everyone nodded in agreement, and we started playing. Really, it did boost our morale. Everyone was enjoying themselves, thinking about something else than Anankos, war, everything. We played, we laughed, and eventually, we got a good night's sleep. Everyone got to their tents, but Takumi called me over, far from all the other tents, with a bunch of sleeping gear under his arms.

'Dex, come over here.'

'What's the matter?'

Takumi took my hand and we ran into the nearby forest.

'Kumi, are you sure we should be going here? We're getting pretty far away from everyone else.'

'I'm sure. Once you see where we're going, I know you'll be too.'

We ran for a while, and suddenly we found ourselves in a beautiful clearing of the forest. There was a small lake, where the moonlight shone right into. The grass was a beautiful color too. Everything about this place was... perfect. It was like I stepped right into a movie scene. Takumi looked over to me with a smile.

'Do you want to sleep here tonight?'

'Yes, I'd love to. This place is beautiful. How did you find it?'

'I was making my rounds with some of the guards around camp when I came across this spot. I made sure nobody else went here, so we would have this place all to ourselves. Oh, and don't worry. I told Ryoma we weren't going to sleep at the camp. He was okay with it.'

'I'm glad to hear that. Now, let's get our little camp set up.'

Takumi had not brought a tent, but it didn't look like a tent was necessary. The weather was good, so we only needed two mattresses, pillows and blankets. Takumi brought two camping mattresses that could be rolled up, and so easily transportable, and we had two regular pillows and blankets, but if that wasn't enough, we could always crawl up to each other, like we'd do a lot back in Hoshido. After a minute or two, we were all ready for bed.


	21. Love is Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter and Takumi get intimate with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is the second chapter I'm putting up today, and this is one that has been long coming. I hope I did a good job writing some of this stuff down, tell me how you guys like it!

**Chapter 21: Love is Burning**

 

Takumi and I got under our blankets, and we found ourselves quickly latching onto each other. I always felt so safe with him. I was always happy around him. I'm glad I could have him to myself, right now. We looked each other in the eyes, and without a word, we kissed. It all started out as a few soft kisses, but soon it were kisses only coming forth of passion. We both wanted each other. We were both passionate about each other. Before I knew it, I could feel my erection getting bigger, and I'm sure Takumi noticed it too. Until now, we had never come close to having sex. I wanted to, but Takumi hadn't given me enough hints of being interested, and I didn't want to make the first move when it came to that. I guess this beautiful place just made it happen. Maybe it was something to relieve the stress of the coming battle, who knows. All I know, is that it felt right. I could feel Takumi's hand stroking my cock, and we started kissing more intensely, now even adding our tongues. Just kissing already really turned me on, but as Takumi kept stroking my cock, and he eventually took off my underwear, my excitement was through the roof. This was it. All of a sudden, however, Takumi stopped.

'Are you sure you want to do this?'

'I am 100 percent sure.'

'Then I won't hold back.'

As soon as he said that, Takumi put his mouth over my cock, and he started slowly going up and down, while sucking it. It felt amazing. I would sometimes moan, not out of pure excitement, but also a little to show him he was doing good. After a while, Takumi took off his own underwear, to reveal his own cock. It was so perfect. The size was bigger than I anticipated, but to me, that definitely wasn't a bad thing. I really wanted to repay Takumi's favor, and so I started sucking him. I could also hear him moaning, sometimes he would push his cock further into my mouth, and I loved it. It gave me a sense of lost control, like I handed control over to him, and I liked that. I wanted him to have control. After a while, Takumi covered his cock in his spit, and he positioned himself behind me. I knew this moment was coming, and after a few seconds, I could feel him enter my ass. I got so turned on by it. Having him inside of me, having him fuck me, it felt like I was getting even closer to him. It did hurt at first, but after a while, when everything became smooth, I really liked it. Takumi was moaning, almost screaming in pleasure at some points, I thought that we were almost going to wake up the main camp, but I didn't care. After a while, Takumi couldn't hold it in anymore. He pulled his cock out of my ass and started jerking off intensively. I turned around, and let him come all over me. It was a weird, yet pleasurable feeling. I came shortly after as well. I then cleaned Takumi's cum off of me, and we collapsed next to each other.

'Kumi, that was amazing. I wouldn't be able to tell it was your first time. You seemed confident, like you knew exactly what you were doing.'

'I could say the same about you. You were great. I hope this won't be our last time.'

'I hope so too.'

Takumi and I exchanged one last kiss, and then we fell asleep, with our heads right next to each other.


	22. March for Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The army marches further toward the bottomless canyon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry it has been so long, but the remaining parts of this story are gonna be uploaded back to back. It's done, so stay on the lookout for the new parts coming soon, and as always let me know what you think!

When dawn came, I was still in Takumi's arms. I knew it was time to get up, but I didn't want to. I opened my eyes, to find Takumi was looking at me.

"Good morning, sweet prince." Takumi chuckled.

"Good morning, 'Kumi."

We gave each other a kiss, and Takumi stood up.

"It's time to go. The day is finally here. Let's return to the others."

I nodded, and put on my clothes and armor. I took my sleeping "equipment" and me and Takumi started moving to the main camp, where everyone was waiting for us. When we arrived at the camp, Ryoma immediately came running to us.

"Dexter, Takumi! Had a good night's sleep?"  
Ryoma smiled at us.

"Are you two truly ready to go?"

"Yes, I am. Dexter, you too?"

I nodded, and with that, Ryoma started shouting. It almost sounded like a lion's roar at some points. Ryoma truly seemed like a great, confident leader. He rounded everyone up. Tents were quickly broken down, and everyone quickly gathered in three lines.

"Everyone! Today, is the day we have all been waiting for. The day, we take out the silent dragon, Anankos! I just want to tell you that, no matter what happens today, we should all stick together. Only then, we can defeat Anankos! Are you ready?!"

"YES SIR!"

"THEN LET'S MARCH!"

Ryoma turned around with his back to the group, and pointed forward, to the bottomless canyon. Dark clouds and thunderstorms surrounded the place. Usually I'd feel pretty frightened to enter a place like that, but with everyone by my side, I felt... strong, confident. Slowly but surely, we moved closer to our gateway to Valla.

Xander and I were walking together after he called me over. We had a nice conversation. However, Xander did remind me of one stinging, painful truth.

"So, Dexter... what will you do once this battle has been won? Will you return to your homeland?"

"I... I don't even know if that's possible."

"I believe there must be a way. If you got here, I'm sure there is a way for you to go back."

"But... I don't know how I could do that to Takumi. I love him, and I'd love it if he came with me, but he would be giving up all his family, his kingdom. In my world, he'd have to start all over."

"Hmm... that is quite the predicament, indeed. Why won't you let him decide for himself? He's an adult, he should be able to make his own choices, you don't have to decide for him."

"I know that, but I don't want him to regret his choice."

"That too, is something bound to his own decision. He knows the risks and uncertainties of coming with you. But sometimes, things are worth taking risks for."

I sighed.

"Thank you, Xander."

Xander put his hand on my shoulder, and smiled at me.

Just when we ended our conversation, the Nohrian scouts reported to Xander.

"Milord! The bottomless canyon is clear..."

"Ah, that's good to hear. I'll inform Ryo-"

"Uh... sir, it's too clear. We see no way of crossing into this so-called Valla."

"What?!" Xander looked shocked. However, I knew how this went. I knew how to cross into Valla.

"Men, I know how to cross into Valla. When we arrive, I'll show you."

"Very well." Xander responded. "Scouts, dismissed."

The soldiers went back to their positions, and within minutes, we had finally arrived at the bottomless canyon. Fearing people might slip into confusion, I took charge immediately.

"Everyone, I feel like you may be wondering where the entrance to Valla is. I'm going to show you."

I walked toward a rope bridge hanging between rocky structures. As I walked further across the bridge, I heard Azura from the crowd.

"Dexter, wait! I'll join you."

Azura came to me, and together, we walked towards the edge of the bridge. I could see far into the canyon. It surely was high up, but I knew what had to be done. Azura and I stepped under the ropes that kept the bridge hanging, we turned to the army, and then, we let ourselves fall backwards, off the bridge, and into the dark depths of the canyon.


	23. In the Dragon's Lair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The army finally arrives in Valla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! The last chapters are coming! Stay tuned, and let me know what you think about this one!

I opened my eyes. The last thing I remembered was falling into the bottomless canyon. I took a look around me, and found myself surrounded by floating islands. It was truly a sight to behold. I saw that the others were already up and about. I went over to Ryoma, Takumi, and the other royals. Sakura was the first one to ask what was going on.

 

''Dexter, where are we? Is this Valla?''

''Yes, it is. We're finally here. Now, we need to find where Anankos is hiding.''

''I might be able to find him.'' Azura stepped into the conversation. She told us a lot about Valla. I knew why she knew what she did, but I wanted to let her tell everyone herself. Luckily, Xander was very curious.

''So, Azura. I see you know a great deal about this land, but how? Have you been here before?''

''Yes. In fact, I have something to confess. Although I was raised in Nohr, I was originally born here, in Valla. I am their princess. Everything I know, I was told by my mother.

Everyone was in great disbelief, but I played Fire Emblem: Fates. If anything, this had all been spoiled for me beforehand, although some things played out differently than in the games, most likely because of my presence. After everyone caught their breaths a little, Azura moved on.

''The time is not now to talk about my heritage. We need to take out Anankos as soon as possible. The world is at stake, so we have no time to lose. Follow me, Anankos' castle is not far.''

Everyone was quiet after Azura's reveal, but we all did as she said. We followed her through the land. There were these weird devices that allowed you to warp to the different islands. People had most likely used them. However, on the islands there were no signs of life. Anankos had been plunged into madness, he might as well have destroyed his kingdom. After a few hours, we finally reached the front gates of Anankos' castle. There was no going back from here. Ryoma, Xander, Takumi, Leo, Camilla, Hinoka, Sakura, Elise, Corrin, Azura, Shigure and I all stood in front of the army. Xander started a last speech before we went in.

''Everyone, the moment is finally here. We are at the enemy's borders. I advice you to stay cautious. We don't know what Anankos is fully capable of. However, I believe, that we have come here for a reason. I believe, that we WILL take down Anankos! His reign of terror ends here! Ryoma, can you explain our plan?''

''Of course, we were not going to just break through the front gates. Scouts have already discovered windows we can climb into, so if everyone-''

Suddenly, a loud, metallic sound pierced my ears. Everyone stepped away from the gate, when we noticed the gate was lowering. This was most definitely a trap. 

''What are we going to do now, Ryoma?'' Takumi was clearly a bit confused when he said that.

''Brother, don't worry.'' Ryoma turned towards the army again. ''Everyone, the plan remains the same! The army will split in five groups. 4 groups will go through the windows, the last group will go with me through the gate. Since the enemy was so kind to open the door for us, I'd say we use it. Be wary though, there is a high possibility that this is a trap. Watch out for yourselves and for your comrades. Now, I assign Xander and Leo a group, Camilla and Elise, Sakura and Hinoka, and Corrin and Takumi. Azura, Shigure and Dexter will go through the gate with me. Gather with your commanders everyone, and as soon as you find Anankos, if possible, report to me. Then we will all face him together.

''YES SIR!'' 

Everyone was in good spirits. I quickly went to see Takumi before we had to go.

''Takumi!''

Takumi turned around, and I held his hand while giving him a kiss.

''Please be careful 'Kumi.''

''You too, Dex.''

I heard Ryoma calling me. It was finally time. Time for answers, time to take out Anankos. I let go of Takumi's hand as I looked him in the eyes one more time. I then turned around, and joined Ryoma's forces.


	24. The Final Showdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle is about to unfold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Just 2 more chapters after this one, the end is coming! Let me know what you think of this chapter!

Ryoma, Azura, Shigure and I stuck close together, with a lot of soldiers backing is up. We walked through a giant courtyard, with a statue of Anankos in the middle of it. Strangely, there was no one in sight. Not a single person, soldier, anyone. Eventually we reached the castle doors. Ryoma signed to us to be careful, and with a quick push, he opened the door. The door gave access to an enormous hall, still with no people around. There were multiple doors, and Ryoma ordered groups of soldiers to check them out. One door after the other was deemed ''clear,'' and we were starting to wonder where Anankos' forces were. Were they waiting for us wherever their king was? We moved further into the castle, and we passed through a door in the back of the hall. Finally, there he was. The silent dragon.  
  
Anankos.  
  
There were still no soldiers, or any fighters around him. It was starting to worry me. No protection for a king? It just seemed... off.   
  
''SO, YOU ARE FINALLY HERE. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? SING FOR ME WITH YOUR LITTLE PENDANTS? I ALWAYS APPRECIATE A GOOD PERFORMANCE. I AM ESPECIALLY CURIOUS WHAT YOUR VOICE SOUNDS LIKE, DEXTER. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?''  
  
''Better than ever. I'm afraid YOU won't have much time left to feel good though. Azura, Shigure, grab your pendants. Are you ready?''  
  
''NOW, NOW. I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE IN SUCH A HURRY. I'D WAIT IF I WERE YOU.''  
  
I stopped.   
  
''What are you talking about?!'' Ryoma came forward.  
  
''OH, RYOMA, THE HOSHIDAN KING. WHAT AN HONOR! I HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU.''  
  
Anankos got up from lying down and swung his claw to the left. Big, purple prisms entered the room.  
  
''What are those?''  
  
''IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THEY ARE. IT MATTERS WHAT IS IN THEM...''  
  
Anankos slammed one of his claws to the ground, making the prisms transparent. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Almost floating in place like puppets were Elise, Sakura, Hinoka, Camilla, Xander, Leo, Corrin, and Takumi. I was shocked.  
  
''Ryoma, why are they here? They were going through the windows minutes ago!''  
  
''I don't know. All I know, is that we need to get them out.''  
  
Ryoma stepped forward, but was quickly halted.  
  
''NOT SO FAST. IF YOU TRY TO SING TO ME, OR HARM ME IN ANY WAY, THEY ALL DIE.''  
  
We were truly stuck here. There was nothing we could do. I couldn't get them out in any way.  
  
''HOWEVER, I WILL LET THEM GO... IF YOU HAND OVER THE PENDANTS TO ME.''

I looked Azura and Shigure in the eyes. There was no way we could do this. All the hard work would be for nothing. We had spent months preparing, and we already lost.  
  
~You, are the ocean's gray waves~  
  
Azura started singing. I was awestruck. Anankos looked weakened and upset. He started to cramp down.  
  
''Azura, what are you doing?!''  
  
Azura signaled Shigure to sing, and she explained her plan to me.  
  
''Shigure, keep singing while I explain!''  
  
Shigure nodded.  
  
''Dexter, he must have to use some power to kill them right? If we weaken him by singing, we may be able to stall him out, while Ryoma and the soldiers free them! It's''  
  
I wasn't sure, but it was the only choice we had.  
  
''Alright, let's go. Ryoma, take the soldiers and free them!''  
  
~You, are the ocean's gray waves~  
~Destined to seek, life beyond the shore~  
~Just out of reach~  
~Yet, the waters ever change~  
~Flowing like time~  
~The path is, yours to climb~  
  
Our three pendants started to light up, and I felt so powerful. I signaled Azura and Shigure to move closer to Ryoma and the others. However, Anankos started to recover. Ryoma was trying to strike the prisms with his sword, the Raijinto, which had electrical properties, but it proved difficult. However, the soldiers put in their best effort, and Xander's prism cracked. He fell out, onto the ground. Ryoma took no time at all to move onto Leo's prism, with one of the soldiers taking care of Xander.  
  
''DO YOU HUMANS HAVE A DEATH WISH?! HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME THE GREA- UGHWAAAAH!''  
  
Anankos collapsed again. He was breathing heavily, we surely had no time to lose. If he got to use, we'd die for sure. The soldier taking care of Xander shouted at us, and next to him was Xander, looking ready for battle. He helped Ryoma break open Leo's prism, and with Xander and Ryoma's legendary weapons combined, the prism shattered in a flash. Xander and Ryoma moved on to destroy the other prisms, and before we knew it, Elise, Camilla, Hinoka, Sakura, and Corrin were free. One more to go, they only needed to free Takumi, and everyone would be here. Anankos' breathing started to sound unregulated, he looked like he was filled with anger. He lifted his claw, and put Takumi's prism out of our reach.  
  
''OH MY, ISN'T THIS WONDERFUL? THE ONLY ONE LEFT IN MY TRAP, IS YOUR LOVELY PRINCE TAKUMI, DEXTER. OH, HOW I'M GOING TO ENJOY SQUASHING HIM LIKE A BUG.''  
  


I was beyond desperate, I was almost crying, but I had to keep singing. I had to keep Anankos' power as low as possible. I could try to shoot with my bow, but I didn't think it would make a dent. Besides, it would take away from my singing, and if anything, I'd have to sing even better now. Suddenly, more soldiers arrived. Pegasus knights, wyvern riders, all kinds of aerial support. It must have been the soldiers accompanying the royals. The soldiers got up into the air and sliced at Takumi's prism. I could see them scratching it. Ryoma and the other soldiers went for Anankos directly to keep him occupied. Anankos was screaming in pain, it sounded heartbreaking. It almost made me feel bad for him, but it had to be this way, no going back now. I heard yelling from up above.  
  
''It's almost broken, someone, catch him!''  
  
That was my cue. I stood beneath the prism, and sure enough, after a few moments, Takumi fell down. I tried to catch him, but he fell onto me instead. At least he had a soft landing. I took Takumi into my arms and continued singing. Anankos started losing his mind. He acted like he had an unbearable headache. He put his claws to his head, and then, his eyes detached from his head. They flew around to form a new body. It was a gruesome sight to behold. Anankos' body was just lifeless, laying on the ground. However, we knew we were succeeding. Just a little more. I noticed that Takumi woke up, so I put him on his feet.  
  
''Takumi, I'm so glad you're okay.''  
  
''I'm glad you're okay too. I see everyone is here. All I remember was being ambushed by these shadow creatures, and then I was in your arms.''  
  
''I'm sorry I let you come to harm. Now, let's finish this. Let's fight together!''  
  
Ryoma rallied everyone for an attack.  
  
''1, 2, 3, CHARGE!'' Ryoma and Xander took off in a sprint to Anankos. Both used the magical properties of their weapons to damage him. Sky troops flew everywhere, and a rain of arrows went at Anankos. He didn't seem to be affected much by it. Me, Shigure and Azura continued singing, though we were really starting to get tired out.  
  
~A burdened heart~  
~Sinks into the ground~  
~A veil falls away without a sound~  
~Not day nor night~  
~Wrong nor right~  
~For truth and peace, you fight~  
  
Anankos seemed in pain after that verse. There really was some kind of hidden power to this song, it was insane. Ryoma, Xander, Leo and Takumi were busy fighting, when a light came from their weapons. They were powering Corrin's Yato blade, making it the Omega Yato, the weapon to stop Anankos. I knew the fight was almost over. Corrin jumped up to Anankos' level, and with one swift stab, he broke through Anankos' eye. He bled out of his eyes, and his pupils shrunk to miniscule sizes. Soon after, he fell to the ground.  
  
Anankos had been defeated.


	25. May We Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Anankos' defeat, Dexter has to make a hard choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 25th chapter, only the epilogue is left after this. What did you think of this chapter? Please, by all means, let me know!

Everyone was cheering. We had finally done it. The suffering had come to an end. Takumi came running at me and jumped into my arms. I almost collapsed under his weight, but I could manage. The rest of the army soon gathered around us. Xander and Ryoma held their hands up in the air as a sign of victory. They shook hands with the other royals and ordered everyone to move out. Just as we were about to take our leave, a purple light emerged from Anankos. His voice sounded through the castle:

"DEXTER... THANK YOU. I AM FINALLY FREE. MY MIND WAS IN TORMENT, BUT YOU MANAGED TO BREAK ME FROM THIS ETERNAL CURSE."

I was confused. Why was he this friendly all of a sudden?

"Anankos, what is this? Explain yourself!"

"THERE IS NO NEED FOR HOSTILITY. I SHALL EXPLAIN MY STORY."

"LONG AGO, BEFORE THE KINGDOMS OF HOSHIDO AND NOHR WERE FORMED, I BELONGED TO A RACE OF DRAGONS WHO HELPED SHAPE THE WORLD, CALLED THE FIRST DRAGONS. TWO HUMANS, WHO WOULD LATER FORM HOSHIDO AND NOHR, WERE GRANTED THE POWER OF MY BROTHERS. THE DUSK DRAGON, AND THE FALL DRAGON. THE HUMANS SPREAD THIS POWER AMONG THEIR PEOPLE, AND THRIVED AS A RESULT. ONCE THEY GRANTED THIS POWER HOWEVER, MY BROTHERS PASSED ON. BECAUSE OF THIS, THE HUMANS SEEKED MY POWER AND HELP WHEN SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I GRANTED THEM EVERY WISH, BUT I ASKED THEM TO AID ME WHEN THE TIME CAME. ONE DAY, WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS VALLA WAS UNDER ATTACK FROM UNKNOWN SOURCES. I BEGGED THE HUMANS TO HELP ME, BUT THEY NEVER CAME. FILLED WITH RAGE, I WIPED OUT THE INVADERS, AS WELL AS NEARLY ALL HUMANS. I WAS DRIVEN TO MADNESS. I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING WAS WRONG, AND SO I CREATED KONAS, WITH THE INTENTION OF FINDING SOMEONE WHO COULD STOP ME, FREE ME. SO HE CAME TO YOUR WORLD, WHERE HE FOUND YOU. I ALSO WROTE A SONG TO CALM ME DOWN, WHICH IS THE SONG YOU AND THE BLUE HAIRED HUMANS SUNG."

I was almost paralyzed. This was a lot to take in.

"So you went to all this trouble, finding me, writing a song and getting everyone together, so you could stop... yourself?"

"YES, AND YOU SUCCEEDED. AS SUCH, I WANT TO THANK YOU BY GRANTING YOU A WAY HOME."

I was both overjoyed and stressed out. This was it. This was the time. The time to decide what would happen with Takumi and me. The purple light grew in size, and eventually formed something that looked like a portal. Seemed fitting enough, I suppose.

"EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR HELPING. MAY WE MEET AGAIN, IN ANOTHER LIFE..."

Anankos vanished.

I looked around me. I could feel the tension in the air, and I knew what had to be done. I had to return home. To my family, my friends. To the people I knew. Then again, I had gotten to know the people here very well too. I was also their prince now. They had trust in me. But I had to go back.  
  


''Everyone, I'm afraid the time has finally come for me to say goodbye. Ever since I got here, I was greeted with open arms. My time here has had its ups and downs, but it has been a pleasure being here, and it will be an experience I shall carry with me forever. Every single on of you has my deepest gratitude.''  
  
Ryoma came forward.  
  


''Dexter, I must admit, I'm sad to see you go. However, please take this, and everything you have with you as a gift. Me, Sakura, Hinoka and Takumi knew you might have to go after our battle was done, so we made this for you.''   
  
It was a necklace, with small wooden beads on it. It was minimalistic, but I loved it.  
  


''Thank you Ryoma, Sakura, Hinoka, Takumi. I shall treasure it always.''  
  
Sakura broke out into tears, and it made me very emotional as well. I looked to the ground. I tried to keep it in, but I let one tear roll down my cheek. I was very sensitive to saying good-bye. It was the one thing in life that I hated the most. I didn't like adjusting to live without people I'd grown to love, it always felt like something was missing. Suddenly, I felt a warm hand wipe away my tear.  
  
Takumi.  
  


When I felt his hand, I broke down even more. I was being torn apart by two different worlds. I didn't want the love of my life to never see his family again by going with me, but at the same time, I wouldn't be able to live without him.  
  


''Dex... don't cry. Smile for me okay? You look the best when you do.''  
  


That comment made me laugh, but it didn't make things easier. I knew now was the time.  
  


''Dex, I know what you're thinking, but my mind's made up.''  
  
''But you'll never be able to see them again. I can't let you do that for me. Look at me. I'm going to step through that portal, and I'm gonna go home. I wouldn't even do the same for you. Why would you do something like that for someone as selfish as me? You deserve better.''  
  


''I don't mind. I don't want to be with someone better, if that person even exists. I just want to be with you.''  
  


I looked up at Xander, and he nodded his head. Clearly he was with Takumi. I let out a deep sigh.  
  


''Takumi, are you sure? You really won't be able to go back. My world is completely different from yours, you're going to have much to learn.''  
  


''I'm sure, Dexter. I truly am. Besides, you had to learn a lot about our world too, and right now, you look and act like one of us. I'm sure everything will be fine.''  
  
Takumi gave me a kiss, with everyone cheering around us. It seems they were in agreement too. Takumi turned towards his siblings, and gave all of them a hug before he came to my side again. I wanted the royals' permission, so I decided to ask one last time.  
  
''Ryoma, Sakura, Hinoka. Are you sure you're okay with this? If even one of you is not, I will not allow Takumi to go with me.''  
  
Sakura decided to speak:  
  
''Dexter, please. Don't worry, us and Takumi have spoken about this for a long time. We all agree. I am going to miss both of you very much.''  
  
Sakura ran to me and Takumi and grabbed us by the waist. We could hear her sobbing, but we had to be strong now. This is what they all wanted. Short after, Sakura let us go, and Takumi and I walked toward the portal. We turned around one last time. Ryoma called out to us:  
  
''Dexter, and my brother Takumi. I hope you will be happy together, wherever you both may go. I will hold hope, that one day, I will get to look you in the eyes, and hold you. I hope you will as well.''  
  
Takumi and I both nodded.  
  


''Then, I wish you safe travels and...  
  
May we meet again.''  
  
My tears broke out again, but I turned around to face the portal, and without looking back, Takumi and I stepped inside. One by one, Ryoma, Xander, Camilla, Elise, Sakura, Hinoka, Corrin, Azura, Shigure and the rest of the world around us faded away.


	26. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dexter returns home, but there is still unforeseen trouble.

I woke up to find myself on a stone floor. I noticed that there were a lot of people around me. I suddenly came back to reality, and started frantically looking around for Takumi. He wasn't next to me. I quickly got up when I realised...  
  
This was my school.  
  


I was truly back, but where was Takumi? I wanted to walk away from the crowd, but suddenly, I heard a familiar voice behind me.  
  
''Dexter! Dexter!''  
  
I turned around, and there she was.   
  
Julia.  
  


''I... I can't believe it. I thought you were dead! After that kid had stabbed you, you were sick, and the next morning, you were gone...''  
  
''I'm sorry I worried you, but I'm still here. I'll explain everything to you later, it's a very long story. Right now, I need to find a boy with long hair in a ponytail, with very light brown hair. Has anyone like that popped up as far as you know?''  
  
''Well, yes, but what about him?''  
  
''I'll explain that later too. Can you tell me where he is?''  
  
''Well, he was in classroom 17, all the way upstairs.''  
  
''Thank you, I have to run now!''  
  
''Wait, Dexter!''  
  
Julia came running after me, but in my better physical condition, I sped up the stairs like never before, and within a minute, I was all the way upstairs. I ran down the hall, all the way to classroom 17 at the end. I looked inside, and a lot of people looked to be gathering around something. I pushed my way through, until I could see clearly and... there he was.  
  
He was talking to the school principal, but I jumped onto him regardless.  
  
''Takumi! I'm so glad you're okay! When I didn't see you, I thought you didn't make it...''  
  
''Of course I made it! I'd never leave you alone.''  
  
I smiled and we kissed in front of the crowd. Well, I guess the school knew I was gay now, and with the best boyfriend ever.  
  
The principal recognised me and wanted to assess the situation.  
  
''Dexter! What a shock to see you. I thought you were never coming back to us. I'm so glad to see you're okay. Although you do have some... interesting clothes on.''  
  
I noticed that both me and Takumi still had out battle armor on, and we really stood out. It kind of embarassed me at first, but once I realised what it stood for, what it truly meant, I'd rather never take it off.  
  
''Principal King, I will explain everything. But please, give us time to rest. I will be back at school tomorrow to tell everyone about what I've been through.''  
  
Without waiting for an answer, I walked away from the crowd, with Takumi and Julia following me.  
  
''So, are you Dexter's boyfriend...?''

''My name is Takumi. It's nice to meet you.''  
  
''What a nice name! I guess I really should leave you two. You're probably going home now, right Dexter?''  
  
''Of course! I'll talk to you very soon Julia, I promise.''  
  


I took Takumi by the hand and we ran down the stairs. We walked out of the school and ran to my house, which was pretty close by. Takumi was all amazed about the world around him. Cars, the way our houses looked, everything was new to him.

''I haven't been here for long, yet there are all the strange, mysterious things around. This world truly is something special.''  
  
I smiled at Takumi, and we arrived at my house shortly after.  
  
''Well, it's no castle, but this is my house Takumi. I live here with my mom and my sister. ...I think I should go in first, alone. Can you wait outside for a brief moment?''  
  


''Of course. Take your time.''  
  
I walked to the door, and after a few seconds, my mom opened up the door.  
  
''Hi mom.''  
  
She broke down in tears when she saw me. She took me inside immediately and gave me hugs 'till I couldn't take any more.  
  
''Dex, what happened? I thought you were dead, but we never found your body... I wasn't ready to let you go, I knew you had to be somewhere...''  
  
My mom was beyond emotional, and I tried to comfort her. When my mom had calmed down, my sister came downstairs, with the same reaction. She broke down in tears and the three of us shared a hug. I then told them all about my story, from beginning to end, but I left one important detail out. It was clearly a lot for them to take in, and I was pretty sure they didn't believe me at first, but even they realised that this was too crazy to make up.  
  
''With all that said, mom, sis, I want you to meet someone.''  
  
I went outside, and I found Takumi sitting on the ground. I reached out to him, and he took my hand. Together, we walked inside.  
  
''I... want to introduce you to Takumi. I... purposefully didn't tell you something before. I fell in love... with him. He's my boyfriend.''  
  
Takumi was clearly nervous. I could feel him shaking, but I pinched his hand, and he regained his composure.  
  
''Hello, my name is Takumi, like Dexter said. It's truly a pleasure to meet you.''  
  
My mom and my sister looked at each other in complete disbelief, but my mom quickly recovered.  
  
''Welcome Takumi. I really like your hair! I hope you'll feel welcome here. I'm sure you two still have a lot of things to explain. Sit down, and I'll get something to drink for you.''  
  
While Takumi started explaining his side of the story, we all sat down together, as a family. We explained that Takumi had chosen to come with me, and that there was no way for him to return to his homeland, so he'd have to stay here.  
  
''Well, I guess things with the government are going to get complicated, and we also need to order a bigger bed, but you can stay here for as long as you want.''  
  
''Thank you so much, miss.''  
  
The rest of the afternoon was spent unwinding, recovering from the sudden shocks, but I could feel it. Takumi being with me, my sister and mother being so supportive, I knew. I knew that this was destiny. I now knew, that this was the start of something amazing, and I could not wait to see what was in store for me and Takumi.  
  
  
  
  
  
-END-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR READING!
> 
> I am well aware that this is by no means a perfect story, but I put my heart and soul into it, and I hope it shows. I am already thinking of ideas for a potential sequel (Because Takumi in a completely modern world? No way that's gonna go well) so stay tuned for that sometime in the future. Maybe soon, maybe not, we'll see. If you liked it, please share it around with as many people as possible, and leave some comments for whatever I can improve. 
> 
> Again, thank you so much and see you soon!


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